


Winter Solstice

by Sylenis



Series: Don't be a Stranger (Kidge AU) [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Christmas Party, Dorks, F/M, First Kiss, Long Haired Keith, Matt/Shiro is a guilty pleasure of mine, Mistletoe, Post Season 8, Season 8 Spoilers, Slow Burn, background Shatt, background allurance, bc braided Keith is the best, mentioned sexism, yes i know it's january
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-10
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2019-10-07 23:50:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17375525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sylenis/pseuds/Sylenis
Summary: Winter Solstice is a time to celebrate, to be together.Post Season 8- but I'm ignoring a lot of it bc it made me so sad.Carries on from First Visit- two nerds dance around each other, completely unwilling to admit their feelings





	1. "It was NOT a date."

**Author's Note:**

> People asked and I shall deliver D:  
> I actually cut off the entire second half of this and rewrote it because it got very angsty and teenage-drama-ish. (kinda bummed bc I got some snippets involving Hunk and Shiro respectively that I liked, but I didn't like the direction) See if you can guess where I cut it as more chapters come. 
> 
> Allura LOVES Solstice/Christmas because it is sparkly, and there are parties and singing and so many odd Earth traditions and jokes. The message of togetherness and eating and drinking and having fun together is so good and it means seeing her family all in one place.

"Guess who I found wandering around the Garrison hangars!" Matt yelled through the hall, over the rattling of doors opening amidst armfuls of luggage.  
"I swear to God Matt if it's another $20 hooker," Pidge hollered back, skipping through the hall. She had a pretty good idea who was with him, and her excitement for the few days ahead of them was starting to build.

  
"Inappropriate." A familiar voice called and Pidge broke into a run, laughing and launching herself past Matt and around Shiro's neck. He dropped the umbrella he'd been trying to shake off in the still-falling snow and clasped her waist, swinging her around in a circle. "I'm worth at least $50 an hour."   
"Don't drop me, my slippers aren't waterproof." Shiro laughed and shuffled through the snowy drive to deposit her back in the doorway.   
"Good to see you Pidge," He ruffled the snow from her hair. "Can you believe all this snow? So festive!"  
"It's awful, get your butt out of it and in the house where it's warm and coffee is available."  
"Mm, the coffee makes a good argument." Shiro turned back to help Matt with bags through the door, and Pidge ran ahead to get mugs.  
  
"I should have known you guys would get extra with the decorations," Shiro was looking around him at all the tinsel and lights arranged on the walls and around every piece of available furniture as he slid off his long wool travel coat. He nodded at the patterns of baubles repeated in various areas, in black, red, green, yellow, blue and white. "Nice colour choices."  
"You should see what we rigged up at the Garrison for tomorrow- What is THAT." Pidge stopped dead, finger on the button of the coffee machine. Shiro glanced down at his chest, frowning.  
  
"Matt bought it for me. I like it."   
"It's hideous, and two sizes too small." The two Christmas puddings emblazoned across his chest were stretched out. Shiro was still as well built as ever, but surely Matt could have found a sweater in his size?  
"I like it." He insisted. "It's a gift and I appreciate it."  
"Don't insult my fashion sense." Matt sidled up next to Shiro, grinning at his handiwork. "he looks great."  
"Yours fits I see." Pidge said dryly, looking at the innuendo on his.  
"I got you one too, don't you want to see it?" He smirked, and Pidge rolled her eyes.  
"I'm good, thanks."  
"Suit yourself, 'tis the season for questionable humor slapped onto itchy sweaters."  
"I think Pidge looks lovely." Shiro smiled, accepting the coffee from her and blowing on it.   
Pidge smoothed her own -plain- jumper down over the red skirt of her dress, "Thanks, Shiro."  
"She's getting all dressed up for her  _boyfriend_." Matt smirked, and Pidge's face coloured. Please not in front of Shiro.  
"Shut up, Matt."  
" _Boyfriend_?" Shiro looked between the Holt siblings, bewildered, "Pidge are you seeing someone?"  
"No, I am not. Matt is being an ass and I'll thank him to stop."  
"So dinner and a movie with Keith was not a date?" Matt asked innocently, tapping his chin with one finger.  
"Wait, you and  _Keith_?"   
"It was not a date. We invited you, why would we invite my brother if it was a date?"  
"They had ice cream together." Matt whispered conspiratorially to Shiro, who was staring back, one eyebrow raised. Then he continued at normal volume, "They invited me as a chaperone, to make sure there was no untoward smooching or hand holding. It's understandable; first dates are SO nerve wracking."  
"Matt shut up. I'm holding hot coffee and I  _will_  dump it on your lap." Pidge's voice was strained and Shiro glanced back to Matt.  
"Come on, Matt, leave it." Pidge did not miss the way he laid his hand on Matt's arm and she hid her frown behind her mug.   
"Young love is so fragile; you'll frighten them off." He continued with a wink, and Pidge nearly spat her coffee over the table.

  
  
____________________________  
  
"I think this is my favourite of Earth holidays." Allura was inspecting a length of tinsel, winding her fingers through it and watching the light catch on the metallic fringe, "Everything is so warm-" she pulled a face "even though this 'snow' makes it cold out. But the decorations, and the food, the togetherness, it's all so wonderful."   
"And sparkly." Lance joked, winding a shorter length of ice-blue tinsel around her head like a hairband. "Perfect, just like you."   
  
"Gross." Matt and Pidge chimed in together, earning themselves a glare from Lance.   
"Leave them alone," Shiro had been shooting furtive glances at Lance since they'd arrived, and Pidge knew what Shiro was hoping for, but had held her tongue up until now. So far neither he nor Matt had teased her in front of Lance, and she wanted to keep it that way. If Matt was bad, he would be nothing compared to a Lance who had something fun to hold over Keith.  
  
Matt had wandered back over to Shiro, the two seemed casual enough as they chatted, but Pidge was keeping her eye on them for now. She had a feeling she would be uncovering some revenge material soon. Coran and her father seemed to be having some sort of debate over a length of fairy lights, judging by the way Coran was waving the plug in Samuel's face, and Allura and Lance were now deconstructing the remnants of the decorations so that they could dress the mice up. Bit by bit, their family was winging their way back home for the celebrations.  
  
Almost as if on cue, the front door banged open, and Hunk was staggering though, panting.  
"It's OK! I'm here! I'm late, but I'm here, it's all good now!" He straightened up, looking around the room and taking in their bewildered faces.   
"I'm... not late? Oh thank God. Actually- am I even the last one here? I don't see Romelle- or Keith, are they late?"  
"She's upstairs freshening up after the journey here," Allura cut in, and then looked towards Matt, Shiro and then Pidge, "Did Keith give any of you an ETA?"  
Both Matt and Shiro looked over at Pidge, "well?" Matt demanded as Shiro eyed him warily. Pidge pulled a face.  
"What are you looking at me for? I have no idea." She was very aware that Hunk was looking at her, and the way Allura seemed to be glancing from her and back to Matt and Shiro.

  
"He told me he was making his way back to our neck of the woods in time for the Solstice," Shiro mused, taking the attention away from Pidge, "So I'm hoping that means he'll be here."  
"Uh- I brought food? So I need to get started unloading but the snow's starting to get pretty heavy-"  
I'll help!" Lance's eyes had lit up at the mention of food, and Hunk gave him a flat look.   
"I have a complete list this time, man- I'll know if anything goes missing," and Lance's face fell into a pout and he sank back into his chair.  
"I'll come," Pidge stepped forward and Hunk pulled her into an overdue hug, "You can trust me, I promise."  
The snow really was starting to come in heavy, the freshly dug drive was already white again, and Pidge grabbed her coat at the door, paused and retrieved the long purple scarf from her bag too. Large snowflakes caught in the faux-fur hood of her jacket and settled in her hair, but at least with the scarf the lower half of her face stayed warm.  
  
The vehicle Hunk had packed was nearly groaning with the weight of all the boxes squeezed inside, an impressive feat of culinary Tetris if Pidge had ever seen it.  
"Hunk, there's only nine of us, and we have food in the house. This could feed an army!"  
"Yeah, but there's the party at the Garrison too, plus you never know what you might run out of, and nobody wants to be going shopping right now so I wanted to be prepared, you know?" He passed down a stack of boxes to Pidge, who tucked her chin over the top.

"I still think you got a little bit excited, Hunk."   
Together they ducked over the boxes and began speed walking as carefully as possible back to the house.  
"It's the holidays, and we're all gonna be together! If that's not a time to celebrate, I don't know what is."   
"Plus if Lance is too busy eating he's too busy to propose, right?"  
"I play to win." Hunk's grin widened "Shiro is  _not_  winning that pot."  
"Yeah, yeah, I almost hope he does ask her today, just to see your face."  
  
____________________________  
The front door that lead into the estate was open despite the swirling snow, music and the buzz of people talking was mingling and wafting outside, so Keith just stamped the snow from his boots, brushing at his shoulders before stepping through the threshold, looking around to see who was already here.  
"Hey! Keith, I thought I saw someone from the window!" A smile eased itself over his face as naturally as breathing.  
"Shiro, hey." He looked no different since he'd seen him last. White hair slightly longer maybe, ugly green Christmas sweater stretched almost comically tight over his broad shoulders, he raised an eyebrow at it but said nothing. Shiro opened his arms out for a hug that Keith welcomed, not seeming to care that Keith was powdered white and his clothes were damp from the weather.  
"You came!"  
"Pidge told me you said 'no excuses'." He said as they broke apart and he started removing his hat and gloves. Shiro grinned, human hand still on Keith's shoulder.  
"Ah, so you'll listen to Pidge? I hear you guys went on a date." Keith spluttered around the glove caught in his teeth. He would  _kill_ Matt.  
"It was NOT a date- we went to a greasy old diner, ate burgers and watched a movie where the monster's zipper was visible on the back of the mask. Real romantic."  
"Sounds like pretty standard first date stuff if you ask me- relax Keith, I'm kidding." Shiro was smiling at Keith's glower. "I also heard about the teasing and I couldn't resist. I'm just glad you took some time to unwind. You work so hard-"  
  
"KEITH!" Suddenly Hunk was upon him, arms around his middle and arms and his feet left the floor, "How are you doing buddy? You look so good, and look at that hair!"  
"Hey Hunk," Keith wheezed, and Shiro laughed, tapping Hunk's arm.  
"Let him breathe, buddy."  
"Oh- sorry Keith." He let Keith go, who patted Hunk on the shoulder and grinned at him.  
"Nice to see you too, man." He glanced at the several bags in Hunk's hands, and over his shoulder at the boxes being stacked on the counters by Romelle and Pidge, and blanched. "Were we supposed to bring gifts? I- I haven't brought anything- I haven't had chance-"  
"Don't worry Keith, I also accept cash and online gift certificates." Lance appeared by Shiro's side, grinning as he reached out to clasp Keith's arm.  
"Lance!" Allura scolded and he twitched guiltily as he moved back again.

  
Allura stepped forward to hug Keith too. The warmth of the house and all his family around him was already started to seep into his cold bones, and he melted into Allura's gentle embrace, vastly different to Hunk's enthusiastic affection. Her white eyelash jumper was soft, tickling his chin where he rested it on her shoulder for a moment.   
"Yeah, yeah OK. Your presence is gift enough- Wait what's with the hair?" Keith felt Lance's hands flipping at the shaggy ponytail no longer tucked into his hat, and he reared his head away, unable to help the small scowl as he tugged it back and tucked it into his collar.   
"Oh my God, are you competing with Allura? Gonna braid it like Kolivan?"   
"Kolivan's braid is practical."

  
"Oh- I could braid it for you!" Romelle and Pidge had come back into the hall, probably for more boxes, and Romelle's eyes were lit up in excitement, "I learned what Earth calls the french braid, it's one of my favourites, and your hair is so thick it would look lovely-" Keith took a step backwards as both Allura and Romelle turned puppy dog eyes on him, fight or flight responses prickling. Lance was cackling and even Shiro was shaking with suppressed laughter.  
"OK guys, back off, stop torturing him." Pidge shoved herself in between the two women, pushing them backwards. "Hey, stranger." Her glasses were slightly fogged up from the snow, but her eyes were bright as she laughed. She was wearing his scarf.  
"Hey Pidge," Keith stepped forward and bent slightly so that she could push up onto her toes and wrap her arms around his neck, mumbling at a stage-level whisper so that the others could hear, "Please save me", making her laugh louder.  
  
Moments later he'd been sat at the table with a large cup of coffee in the warm kitchen, Shiro urging him to help himself to the plates of cookies and pastries and sandwiches as the others all nattering away around him. Lance and Pidge seemed to be wrestling over by the sound system- it sounded like Lance wanted to plug in his own playlist but Pidge didn't want him near her custom set up, so they were grabbing and playing keep-away with a storage drive. Lance was trying to use his long limbs as an advantage but Pidge was ridiculously good at climbing it seemed, short legs hooked around his stomach as she scrabbled at the fist clenched around the drive. Romelle was cheering her on in her quest to take it, anyway. Lance tossed the drive and Pidge let out a squeal of indignation and launched herself like an angry cat from Lance's back towards an even taller, laughing Hunk.   
  
It was loud, and most of the chatter was stupid, but it was home.   
  



	2. "A braid would be very practical."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I had the Matt with a Mistletoe hat idea in my head for AGES D:>
> 
> Introverts need their alone time to recharge. Recharging together may or may not be a bad idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep asking myself, 'will Keith ever stop eating?'  
> No. No he won't. Feed that boy he deserves it.
> 
> Funnily enough this is far more positive than my initial draft.

"Matthew no."  
"Matthew YES." He tugged on the mistletoe that hung from a spring on his hat, grinning widely. "This is my gift to the world. Anyone who has ever been too shy to get a taste of Matt Holt now has the perfect excuse."  
"Truly, the moment I've been yearning for has come." Keith drawled as he reached for another brownie.  
"Ooh Keith, are we finally gonna get it on? I'll give you the first go, you mistle-hoe." He inclined his cheek towards Keith, who regarded him over his mug with an eyebrow raised,  
"How about I shove that mistletoe up your-"  
"Mistletoe?" Allura cut in, "Is that not the flower you put in doorways rather than on your head?"  
"Yeah, Matt's hoping he'll get more kisses if he wears it." Hunk grinned and Allura's brow furrowed as she glanced at Romelle, who shrugged.  
"It's all good fun," Matt insisted, "Want a turn, princess?"  
"Me first," Hunk leaned in and planted a kiss on Matt's cheek, who grinned up at him and winked.   
"Why thank you, Hunk-a-licious."   
"I guess it  _is_  an Earth tradition," Allura mused, and then smiled and pecked his other cheek. Matt, for all his bluster, turned red and actually giggled a bit. He then fished in his pocket and produced another sprig of the green and white plant. "Here, take this to your boyfriend before his head explodes. And be careful, it is actually poisonous!" He called after her as she trotted back to Lance, waving the plant over her head and giggling.  
  
"What's going on?" Shiro had returned with an arm load of crates of bottles, and put them down on the counter next to Keith.  
"Matt's got one of those goddamn mistletoe hats."   
"Has he now." He looked over, but smiled a little as he looked over at the small crowd, Pidge holding Bae-Bae up to slobber on Matt's face as Romelle giggled. "He's such a character."  
"If you say so. Is that root beer?"  
"Help yourself."   
Matt's eyes lit up at the sound of Shiro's voice, and bounded back over to him, singing his name.  
"Shirooo~ Shiro, my dear Takashi~"   
  
"What have you got now, Matt?" Shiro folded his arms, putting on an innocent tone.  
"It's mistletoe, and you know what that means."  
"Last I checked, the rules said I had to be 'under' the mistletoe, and I'm half a foot taller than you." He poked Matt's forehead gently, earning himself a scowl.   
"Stop being such a stickler for the rules," he pouted, and Shiro's smile softened.  
"I think I can bend them for you," He slid his hands under Matt's thighs and picked him up easily, setting him on a high counter so that Matt was level with him, the mistletoe quivering above both their heads.  
"oh, I'm all a flutter," Matt swooned, clasping his hands around Shiro's neck, who just rolled his eyes.  
"Shut up and kiss me, you fool."  
"Gladly," in a movement that was clearly well practiced, Matt tilted his head down and kissed Shiro full on the lips. Lance whooped right behind Keith and he nearly fell out of his chair, clutching his chest at the sound.

  
"I knew it!" Pidge was trying her best to glare at the two but her grin betrayed her, "I am so getting you two back later."  
"Back for what?" someone asked, but Keith just looked back at where Matt was still peppering Shiro's face with little kisses as the other laughed until he was weak, pretending to try and push him off. He'd had an inkling since their last trip together that something had gone on between the two, but actually seeing it made him grin.  
"Mistletoe hat was the Best. Purchase. Ever." He said between kisses, tugging the hat off and throwing it at Keith's head, "Make good use of it, buddy!" 

Keith flushed fiery red, pushed it away and Lance swiped it up, jamming it jauntily on his head and pointing finger guns at Pidge who pretended to gag. When Lance pouted she rolled her eyes, grabbed his collar and jerked him down for a kiss on the side of his chin. The others all descended on Lance, volume rising as people giggled and squawked and squabbled over who'd get to wear the hat next. Keith slipped away before anyone could come for him with the dratted plant.  
  
  
____________________________  
  
Pidge turned and leaned against the door of the den to close it as quietly as possible, then pressed her back to it with a sigh. She loved her big, quirky family and she loved the holiday season, but right now it was too much. She removed her glasses and massaged her temples, then turned to the couch and nearly screamed.  
Keith was sitting on the floor, back against the sofa, looking up at her with his mouth partly open.   
"Hi." He looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights, "I'm sorry, I just needed a quick break."   
"I get that. It's OK, you're fine here-  _mi casa es su casa_  and all that." She fumbled for the door handle but he shook his head.   
"Sit, if you want." He had a drink in his hand and he indicated the sofa with it. "I won't talk."   
For a moment she contemplated leaving, going up to her room instead, but the probability of being noticed was increased and her favourite fluffy blanket looked so inviting. So she padded to the sofa, kicked her slippers off and sat down, curling her legs under her and pulling a pillow to her stomach. He looked at her once from the corner of his eye and then took a swig of his drink and silence fell.

  
Bliss. Obviously the music was still playing, the others were still talking and laughing in the other rooms but it was muffled in here and she could close her eyes and relax for a moment.   
In front of her Keith sat, knees brought up and elbows resting on them, he seemed to be contemplating the label on his drink pretty thoroughly. She knew he understood. He wasn't a crowd person either- He was even less so than she was.   
She felt for a minute like this might have been a mistake- maybe she was intruding on the quiet time he needed to regroup. He wasn't totally relaxed; there was a tension to his shoulders but it seemed to ease as he drank again from the bottle. His ponytail slipped down between his shoulder blades and she couldn't help but grin at Romelle's words. She was right; his hair was thick, and glossy too and it would definitely look good in a braid. Maybe later she could convince him to sit for Romelle.

  
She hadn't realised she was still staring until he turned his head to the side to look back at her. Obviously he'd felt her eyes on him. His expression was curious though, he seemed to be more at ease than when she'd first burst in on him. She looked away, squeezing the pillow between her fingers and smoothing the soft pile of the fabric down.   
Wordlessly he patted the carpet next to him, located a second bottle of root beer and held it behind him towards her. She took it, and then looked around as she realised she needed to pop the lid off somehow.  
"Shit, sorry." He mumbled and turned to face her, retrieved the bottle and snapped the cap off with the heel of his hand, returning the hissing drink to her.   
"Thanks," She drank from the bottle to give herself something to do, and he returned to his previous spot, leaning forward and pulling his trapped ponytail out from between him and the sofa with a grumble.  
At her soft laugh he glanced back at her, and she smirked, "a braid would be very practical."  
"At this point of the party, I'm tempted to just cut it off. Everyone keeps making jokes."  
  
"Don't- I like it." She blurted, and then quieter, "may I?"  
There was a pause as he clearly contemplated the meaning of her words, and then nodded. She shuffled forward, setting her drink down on a side table and sitting on her heels on the edge of the sofa for a better reach. She hesitated, and then took the long ponytail in one hand. It was heavy and when she undid the tie it spilled across her hand, inky black and soft.   
She combed her fingers through the ends slowly, checking for knots as she worked further up towards his head, the way she had with her own hair when it was long.   
He sat stiffly, unmoving as she split the few beginnings of tangles apart, and moved methodically to the next lock. Idly she wondered if such thick, fast growing hair was something from his mother's side.   
Letting her nails graze his scalp gently, she jumped when he made a small noise in his throat. His eyes were closed and he made no move to stop her, so she carried on lightly scratching from the front of his head down to the back, starting to separate it out. His shoulders seemed to melt into the sofa and he shifted his legs into a loose crossed position and leaned back further, letting his weight rest fully on the sofa seat.  
  
She didn't know any fancy twists or plaits like Romelle or Allura, but she could do a basic braid well enough. She also didn't really need to spend so much time combing through and sectioning off his hair like this, but the dreamy look on his face as she glanced down from her vantage point on the sofa- the way his closed eyelids fluttered- had her taking her time, repeatedly letting the sections fall so she could start over and trace along his temples and down to the nape of his neck.  
  
This time the hum he made was definitely one of pleasure as she spread her fingers along the base of his neck and combed up the back of his head, watching his hair slip around her fingers. The sound made her pause mentally, feeling a little embarrassed. This felt very... intimate all of a sudden, not that Keith seemed to have noticed; he was practically a purring puddle. She combed through his scalp a couple more times, and then began slowly twisting three sections into a regular braid and tied the end off.  
He didn't seem to notice that she'd stopped and for a moment she wondered if he'd actually fallen asleep as he let his head tip back to rest on her thighs, but when she peered down at his face he opened his dark eyes and fixed them on hers. The look on his face had her swallowing thickly.  
  
"I don't think they mean to sound mean, you know." She said, feeling like she should say something, "I think Romelle was genuinely just excited, and Lance is Lance."  
"I'm still not good at reading humor." He said quietly, reaching up to his shoulder to pat the braid, exploring the twists he couldn't see with his fingers, still using her legs as a pillow.  
"I know." She gave his upside down face a smile, "Social activity is a massive chore sometimes, even when you love them all to death." He huffed a soft laugh up at her.  
"Thanks, for letting me chill here."  
"Thanks for letting me play hairdresser."  
"Anytime." He paused, a small flush of pink rising on his cheekbones, "that was a big stress killer."  
"Yeah?"  
"Yeah."   
His face was so close - she hadn't realised how low she'd leant over - but she couldn't look away, choosing instead to drink in this sight. His eyes, purple in the light were piercing right back up into her own, under thick eyebrows that for once were not knitting together in a thoughtful scowl. His lips- her breath hitched as she glanced up to them. Every logical part of her brain told her to abort mission; this was too close for comfort. His hand came up near her face and she wondered if he was going to shove her away, but instead he just touched her cheek, letting his fingertips rest there. His hand was warm, and so was his breath on her face.  
  
Pidge reeled backwards, almost bouncing off the cushions and dislodging Keith's head from her lap.  
"I should- I need to- I should be getting back. Nobody should leave Lance in charge of the music for very long-"   
She scrambled, legs flying as she vaulted the arm of the couch and hopped from one slipper to other other, shoving her feet into them. Her face felt hot, pressing in and claustrophobic, her skin prickling under her sweater as if it was suddenly too heavy.  
"Pidge, wait-"   
She forced herself to glance back, to offer a half smile back at him without really looking. "I'll see you later, K?"

She could barely register his expression, eyebrows knotted, mouth set in a hard line, before she groped for the door handle to escape.

 

 

* * *

Bonus: Have some half assed doodles of the dreaded mistletoe hat

(tried to upload into the document but it disappears after a while- here's the link https://sta.sh/016amreri32m)

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ru-Roh, Raggy. 
> 
> I also originally wanted to include Shay in this, and more of Coran etc, but it's a big ol' cast and jeez it's hard to keep track.


	3. "you're a lot of things, stupid is not one of them"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunk is the real MVP.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rewriting this was haard D:<

Pidge rounded the corner from the den, thinking to lock herself in the bathroom this time where nobody would be able to interrupt her, maybe dunk her head in cold water. Stupid, stupid, so stupid- She crashed into a wall of something solid, bouncing back and looking up at-  
"Hunk- oh, hi!"  
"Hey Pidge, I was wondering where you'd gotten to-" His smile slipped and he peered closer at her. "You OK? You look weird, is it work stuff? I thought you took today as a holiday?"  
"No, it's not that, I-" 

  
Pidge paused. Statistically, Hunk would be the least likely to tease her about this. Matt would understand, but then he would be smug, Lance would lose his head, and then be smug. Allura and Romelle were.... Allura and Romelle, and she'd never understand anything Coran would probably say. Shiro was- well, anyone other than Keith and she might have gone to him, but it would be awkward in this situation. Hunk was kind, and already somewhat aware of her... feelings. Then again he was also missing Shay, unable to bring her down for this winter excursion. He was also lousy at keeping secrets. Her mind raced through the variables, aware that the longer she stood looking like a rabbit caught in the headlights, the more concerned Hunk became.  
"Pidge?"

  
"I think I nearly kissed Keith." She blurted, then clapped both hands over her mouth as if they were delayed in trying to stifle the admission. She glanced back down the corridor, but the music and chatter from the rest of the house never broke for a moment.   
"What? You guys- wait, no-" 

  
Hunk grabbed her upper arms, steering her back round the corner and into the nook under the stairs where they kept brooms, mops and a few experimented-on roombas.  
"That made no sense Pidge- what do you mean, you 'think' and 'nearly'?"  
Pidge shook her head, leaning back on the wall, sliding down it until her butt hit the floor and grabbing fistfuls of her hair. "I'm so  _stupid._ "  
"Pidge you're a lot of things, but stupid is not one of them. Tell me what happened."  
  
"We were just sitting," she mumbled, flapping a hand in the general direction of the den room, "and talking, and then- Like an idiot- I-"  she breathed out shakily and put her head in her hands so that she could hide her face in shame as she explained the rest, and more.   
  
She'd been so happy today. Seeing her friends, setting up all the decorations, teasing Lance and poking fun at Shiro's sweater. Keith's relaxed, almost sleepy expression from where he'd rested in her lap in the same room they'd only been in a few weeks ago, where she'd fallen asleep in his arms, feeling so warm and safe as the movie played on. The same room she'd left him in, probably to wonder what the hell had gotten into her, wondering if they'd ever be able to be alone together again, or if she'd pounce on him, demanding more than he could give.  
  
"-Pidge, come on I think you're exaggerating a little, there. Nothing actually happened, right?" Hunk took a broom off its hook so he could lean in its place on the wall, fiddling with the loop on the end of the pole. "I think you guys need to just talk. Figure it all out, lay all your feelings on the table."  
"I don't  _do_ feelings, Hunk."   
"I know, but I think you need to make an exception here. This is love, after all."

  
"It's not love!" Pidge's head shot up, glaring up at him. "It's not, it isn't... I can't Hunk. I can't do this. I'm not a... a 'people' person, I don't deal well with emotions. I like numbers, a-and science, and being able to put two factors into an equation and  _know_  what's coming out the other end, that there's only one answer! Too much could go wrong here. If Keith's not interested, if I alienate him... I don't want to risk our friendship. It's important to me."  
"I don't think Keith would stop being your friend over this, Pidge-"  
"You don't know that- what if it's so awkward and embarrassing that we can't hang out anymore? What if he feels weird knowing that you know and can't talk to  _you_  anymore- or Matt? and he's with Shiro now so-"  
"Pidge stop."   
  
She hadn't realised how hard she'd been digging her fingers into her pulled up knees until Hunk laid his hands over hers, easing them away. His voice was gentle, but firm.  
"You're overthinking this." He pulled her up by her hands to stand, smile reassuring. "Imagining crazy outcomes that aren't going to happen- trust me I know what that's like, I do it all the time." 

  
They both laughed, then Pidge leaned forward until her head hit Hunk's chest. "I'm so useless at this." She mumbled into his sweater and he patted her back.  
"You got this. I'm rooting for the two of you." Pidge lifted her head, chin digging into his skin but he didn't complain, just grinned down at her pouting face. "What? I think you'd be kinda cute together."  
"Hunk, please." Pidge stood back, removing her glasses and wiping the lenses off on the hem of her skirt where they'd fogged up a little.  
  
"What the heck are you two doing?" Lance was clearly on his way to the bathroom, and had stopped midstep, staring at them huddled under the stairs, his eyes narrowed.  
"Oh- I broke a glass in the kitchen, so we were cleaning up." Hunk waved the broom that was still in his hand, and Pidge nodded. "Hey- Lance, I brought a ton of games over from my parents' house, wanna help us get them out?"   
Lance still looked suspicious, then-  
"You got Twister?"  
"Yeah, I think so. Pidge can go find Keith, and we can pick some stuff out?" Pidge looked from Hunk to Lance, hoping her face looked casual enough despite the fact that the idea of venturing back to the den had her stomach in knots.  
"Oh- I just ran into Keith upstairs, he's in the bathroom, be back down in a minute. What are we waiting for, come on, Hunk!"  
Lance was already skipping away on long legs, leaving Pidge to pull faces at Hunk as they followed him.  
  
___________________  
  
It was like a picture from a story book, or one of those Home Living magazines. The fire in the hearth might be electric but the fake flames lit the squashy armchairs up in a warm flickering orange. Decorations and drinks glasses were glittering in the moving lights. Everyone was crowded into the chairs and cushions- Lance had built a mini nest on the floor and was lounging back against Allura, head tipped back on her shoulder so that he could argue with Shiro behind him, pressed into one armchair with Matt. He then looked up.  
"Keith! Hunk brought board games! Tell Shiro to let us play Monopoly!"  
"Get on the right side of History and vote for Monopoly!" Matt cheered, as Shiro groaned. Hunk was looking as though he vaguely regretted this as he grinned up at him. At some point he'd ended up wearing the Mistletoe hat. Pidge was perching on the arm of Hunk's chair, leaning on crossed arms on the back of his shoulders. 

  
"You do know Lance will cheat, right Matt?" He replied, shaking his head at Lance as he sputtered something about ' _heinous lies and slander_ '  
"Matt cheats too." Pidge shot from her spot, jiggling her foot up and down, "He's worse than Lance."  
"You're the worst cheat,  _actually._ " Matt snorted, "Don't ever let the puppy eyes fool you."   
"Maybe something else then?" Romelle was prodding a brightly coloured counter from another game, as if waiting for it to do something. "Most of these don't allow-" she waved a hand over the cluster of people, "-this many players anyway."

  
"Flip a coin on the games." Keith said, still standing by the coffee table, looking down at the pile of brightly coloured boxes. "Group up, and pair Allura, Romelle and Coran up with people who know the rules. Don't let Matt, Pidge or Lance team up together."  
"Finally some sense." Hunk stood up, dislodging Pidge and she flopped into his seat as he patted his pockets for change.   
"I say we play Rock-Paper-Scissors and let the winner decide." Lance grumbled, and patted a spare cushion at Keith. "Park it buddy, and we'll do the first round, unless you're afraid of my skills."  
"There's no skill in Rock-Paper-Scissors," Keith huffed, but sat down next to the two anyway, balancing his drink as he leant back against the edge of Lance and Allura's cushion throne.

  
"You say that, but you've never gone up against the combined analytical minds of Team Punk!" Hunk stretched back to high five Pidge, who lazily raised her hand from her upside down position in the armchair to clap them together.  
"Get ready to die, McClain." She grinned, catlike and upside down over at Lance, who bristled.  
"Is that a challenge, Holt?"  
"Should those two be allowed to team up?" Allura asked of Hunk and Pidge, and another round of arguments started. Keith watched Pidge gnashing her teeth at Lance as the others squabbled over pieces, games and teams. She seemed... OK. There was no trace of the panic he'd seen earlier., and she didn't seem to be ignoring him or shunning him. She did appear to be sticking close to Hunk, he'd noticed and he felt a small bubble of anxiety well up in his stomach. Really, he needed to apologise. He needed to promise her that.... whatever  _that_ had been, it wouldn't happen again, and how could he do that if she spent the rest of the night using Hunk as a shield?

A prod on his arm made him jump, and he looked over at Romelle, who'd been the prodder.  
"I said did you want to team up?"   
"Sure. Grab the piece shaped like a dog, would you?"  
He glanced at her again. Her eyes were on him this time and they widened before she dropped her gaze. Before the cold, unsettling feeling of the blood leaving his face could really set in, she looked back up. One side of her mouth pulled up in a tiny smile, and she poked the tip of her tongue out at him, wriggling her eyebrows. He didn't copy the tongue, but he raised his brows back at her.  
He relaxed a little.

  
___________________

  
"I can't believe  _Shiro_ cheated!"  
"I'm an innocent bystander." Shiro insisted to an irate Lance, "Pidge was the one taking from the bank."  
"Prove it, suckers."  
"I thought teaming you up together would keep you  _out_  of trouble." Allura grumbled, "And I still don't really understand this game. It's nothing like Altean economics."  
"I prefer Monsters and Mana." Romelle chimed in, though her and Keith's pile of money was pretty sizable. She had been gleeful enough whenever someone had to pay up to her, but apparently not winning had been enough to drain her interest.  
"Oh- yes!" Hunk scattered a bunch of plastic pieces as he whipped around, "Think we could set up a game?"  
"Well I always bring the books and our logs." Coran was looking smugly around the table at the mention, "Shall we take a look-see?"  
"I'm gonna go get another drink." Keith stood up, and glowered at Lance as he tapped his knee with his own empty bottle, but he took it anyway.  
  
In the kitchen he added the empty bottles to the growing pile, and then sized up the remaining crates, contemplating just bringing the lot back for everyone. He hadn't played that game before- he'd always managed to miss out- but he knew of it and he knew they normally ran pretty long. Maybe he could just be the runner for snacks and drinks for the night.

  
Someone entered the kitchen behind him and he didn't need to look around to know it was Pidge. She was holding a data pad, and though her face was neutral, there was something guarded in the way she held her shoulders.

  
"Aren't you guys playing that game?" He asked, starting to add the contents of half empty crates all into one to make them easier to carry, trying to gauge the popularity of the different sodas.  
"It'll take a while to set up, knowing us." She said, and took a step closer, so that they were shoulder to shoulder. "Coran's logs are bigger than the entirety of my library, and he wants to pick a story you and Romelle can play, she's pretty new to it too."  
"Me?" He asked, and his eyes fell on the pad in her hands. Of course.  
"Yeah, Hunk sent me to see if I could get you to agree to make a character." Keith blanched. Somehow this was more intimidating than being in a room alone with Pidge. This would probably require a level of creative thinking he wasn't ready for. 

  
"Oh- no, it's OK, I don't think it's really my bag." Her face fell, and he shrugged, "Maybe I can just watch you guys?"  
"Keith-" she paused, fingers drumming on the sides of the data pad, chewing her lip. "Don't- don't feel like you have to sit stuff out, because of me."  
"What? No, that's not it. I'm not-" Keith trailed off, and leaned back on the counter, not sure what to say or do.

Those moments in the den were replaying in his head, her curious gaze as he touched her face, so close. Playfully nudging him with her shoulder and laughing at her own joke as they walked to the ice cream place. Her hand on his on the cool wood of the work bench, calm and reassuring. People called him oblivious, but he'd really thought something might be happening. One look at her face and it all disappeared, replaced by the memory of her panicked scramble for the door. He never meant to scare her off like that. People called him oblivious, and maybe they were right.   
  
"I mean... We're good, right Pidge?"   
"Yeah- yeah," it came out breathless, tipping her head from side to side. "Of course we are. Good, we're good. Really good."  
"You sure?"   
Pidge mirrored him, letting herself bump back into the counter and pushing her glasses up onto her forehead.   
"I think..." She started, finally looking up at him, "There's probably some stuff we should talk about. Not now- not while everyone's around that would be horrific, but definitely if we can get a moment alone, maybe after the Solstice, or maybe tonight, or whenever you're comfortable, it doesn't have to be soon, but as long as you think we're good, that's good." She managed to catch herself before it became too long of a ramble, and watched as he contemplated her.   
"Yeah. Yeah, you're right. We should talk."  
  
They stood together in silence.   
  
"...You know if we don't hurry back, Hunk's going to come in to try and convince you to play. And Hunk's way more persuasive than me." Keith glanced down at the datapad in her hand, lips pursed in a thoughtful pout. Pidge nudged him with her elbow and the pout slipped, turning into a lopsided smile that she returned. He unfolded his arms and reached for the pad.  
  
"What do I need to do?"  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The original draft I had was... pretty different. It was stupidly angsty and drama-fied and Keith was the original panicker, not Pidge, and in this draft were several parts- interactions with Hunk and Pidge, Keith and Matt, Keith and Shiro and then Hunk and Keith that I keep going back to, to stare at and wonder if there's any way I can slip them into this, but no banana.  
> Maybe I'll dump the original draft somewhere bc while it felt off to have such stereotypical miscommunications, the character interactions I really enjoyed, especially Hunk's. This chapter doesn't hold a candle to the other Hunk bits and I'm kind of torn now.


	4. "About earlier today..."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You're my friend." Pidge said with a small smile, as though it were the most simple thing in the world.
> 
> The talk happens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's past 1am and I'm typing this with one hand because my cat has commandeered my other arm as a pillow.  
> I've reread this, and wanted to do a proper check but I know if I wait til tomorrow I'll spend hours I don't really have trying to cram more into it.

Lance was snoring. Pidge didn't look up from her datapad as she prodded his butt with a slippered toe.  
"Lance, wake up." His snuffling was annoying her. The datapad was annoying her. She was annoyed.

  
"Lance," Another prod, probably more like a kick. Lance grunted and swatted at her foot, then turned over and cuddled further into the sofa arm. "Lance go upstairs to snore, I'm trying to work." Her tablet pinged again and she tapped it harder than necessary.  
Allura was back, mane of white hair tamed back into a braid and clad in silk pajamas. "Lance, are you coming to bed?"  
  
At the sound of her voice his eyes opened, the traitor. He whined something unintelligible into the pillow and still didn't make a move to leave. Allura rolled her eyes at Pidge, before grabbing his collar and hoiking him over her shoulder in one smooth motion.

  
"You big baby," she said, though her voice was fond as she turned to leave as though he were little more than a backpack on her shoulder.

  
"'Night, Pidge." Lance mumbled from where he hung over Allura's back, lifting one arm to wave as the other swung back and forth in time with Allura's pace.  
  
"Goodnight guys," She went back to peering at her messages.   
"I will never get used to that." Keith stood by to let Allura past, bidding him goodnight as Lance waved to him too. He took Lance's place on the sofa next to Pidge, dismantling the pillow nest on the floor to steal cushions and prop himself up.

Pidge barely looked up, instead muttering at her screen, fingers flying over the keys. Message sent, she let the pad fall to her knees with a huff, leaning back against the couch cushions.  
  
"Everything OK?" Keith watched the curve of her neck as her head lolled back, one hand pushing her hair out of her eyes.  
"I take one vacation day and the entire department blows up. Literally, in two cases."  
"Jeez. I'm guessing you don't take many vacations."   
"Not really. I'm... This project is a struggle." She admitted, not removing the hand from her eyes, but he could hear the embarrassment in her voice, though in Keith's opinion it was unfounded. If Pidge was finding it difficult, he couldn't fathom how rough it must be. "Wormholing is no easy task."  
  
"And Allura and Coran can't help?"  
"They've given me all they can, really." Pidge sighed. "Coran said he'd come take a look at the progress and see if he can offer any direction, but it's completely different tech to the Alteans. We need to replicate materials that haven't been around for ten thousand years. Plus, there's the way that Alteans handle quintessence. There's a level of... magic, for want of a better word that's proving difficult to replicate manually. For Allura it's so natural but we're trying to make it so that machines can handle it and it's just not working. I could ask the Olkari, but again, it's different tech, and I'd feel bad dragging them into my work when they have their own."  
  
"You'll figure it out. You always do." The words didn't seem to comfort her any, and when her pad beeped the crease in her forehead deepened.

  
"Ugh." She picked it back up, frowning down at it. He was tempted to take it from her- it was well past midnight and this was supposed to be a holiday, after all. But he knew better. He valued his life.  
"This is also my first vacation day since this new Admiral took over, so  _that'll_ be fun. You haven't met him, have you?"  
"The one that even Shiro doesn't like? He must be bad." Shiro wasn't above grumbling or gossiping about the stiff upper lips of the Garrison, but it was rare, and even rarer that he'd actively dislike someone.   
  
"I don't know what his problem is, but he has one with me. Well- I know what one of his problems is, he's a massive sexist for a start. He called me 'little girl' last week."   
Keith's hackles raised at the thought. "Report him. Or deck him. I'm fine with either." That earned him a laugh as she carried on tapping at her screen.  
"I don't think he likes any of us. Authority issues, you know? We were all rule breakers- I snuck in under a false name to hack the system logs, Lance orchestrated the whole curfew break, we all helped you kidnap Shiro and did a lot of property damage, and then got fired into space and became heroes as a reward."  
"Because being roped into a ten thousand year old war is  _such_ a reward. Man, I bet he'll hate me, I'm a walking issue with authority."  
"You'll probably meet him tomorrow at the event."  
"Ughh." Keith groaned. He'd forgotten about that. "Do we have to? I hate wearing suits."  
"Try wearing a dress." Pidge muttered, and he cocked an eyebrow at her.  
  
"You're wearing one right now?" He indicated the pinafore. She'd taken her sweater off sometime in the evening, and he had to admit he liked red on her, contrasting with the navy bardot top underneath, and the pale bare freckled shoulders even more.  
"That's different. This one has pockets." She stuck her hands into them and wiggled so that the skirts flapped around her legs. "And it's comfortable, and my choice. And if it became uncomfortable, I know I could go upstairs and change into jeans or my pajamas and none of you would care even a jot."  
"True, I guess."  
"If you hate suits so much we can swap, you can always ask my mom to cram you into a sequinned number with a fluffy skirt and bits that dig into your stomach. She's got plenty of them."  
"Depends, I can deal with sequins, but how short is the skirt?" He tapped his chin in mock thought, but caught the cushion she threw at him. She was smirking at him, but at another noise from her tablet it slipped again.

  
"This really seems to be bugging you, Pidge." He frowned at her, really not used to seeing this reaction from Pidge over work. 

  
"It's just a snag. I'll feel better once I've worked through it, but right now I just want it over with. I wish I could skip tomorrow's event. Do you know how many I've been to in the last year? Because I've lost count."

  
He didn't answer, just watched as she ran her hands through her hair again until it was standing on end. "At the end of the day, the Galaxy Garrison has a massive public face and they like to show off how much they had to do with helping save the universe, including that the paladins were all former students. The others get roped into these events every time they're on Earth, Shiro's been to nearly as many as me and I had Hunk for the last one, but guess which idiot grounded herself and now has to be paraded around them all like a sparkly bauble?"  
"I'm sorry, Pidge."   
"It's not your fault. And they have a right I guess, to show off. They did supply my dad with the means to outfit a resistance. They sent their men up there with us, but... I can't wait to get out again, it's suffocating." She huffed a sigh that seemed too big to have come from her small frame, and then looked at him, biting her lip.  

  
"Sorry, Keith. I'm moaning. It's a cushy job really."  
"You can moan all you want, for me." He answered, and raised an eyebrow in confusion when her ears turned red, but she didn't answer, just ducked her head and her hair flopped back down into her face as she picked at her sleeve.  
  
Her datapad seemed to have gone quiet for now, and they sat together for a moment, Keith tracing the stitched pattern on the cushion with one finger. He put it down between them, and folded his arms across his chest.

  
"Listen, Pidge, about earlier today..."   
That got her attention. She sat up, device forgotten on her knee.  
"Oh, are we having that talk now?" Her eyes had widened a little, the pitch of her voice rose a notch to betray her shock, and he twisted towards her.  
"It can wait-"  
"No, I said if we were alone, and only if you're comfortable, and it looks like that's now."

  
Well, he couldn't say he was comfortablehaving this talk _,_ but they  _were_  alone; everyone else had retired to bed. It was quiet now- would they get this chance again?   
  
He leaned his elbows on his knees and threaded his fingers together, staring at them so he wouldn't have to look at her. He had to get this out before he lost his nerve. There was the quiet clicking of her glasses folding up and from the corner of his eye he saw them being put on top of the tablet on the coffee table.  
  
"Pidge... Earlier, in the den. I wanted to kiss you." He let it all tumble out in a rush, determinedly staring at his fists, unable to face the idea of seeing her reaction. There was a small squeak next to him and he almost wished he could plug his ears too. "I obviously freaked you out, and I'm sorry. I should have said something- asked you if it was OK."  
  
There was no answer and he clenched his eyes shut. Damn it she was going to make him look at her, wasn't she?  
  
"You... wanted to kiss me?" There was an exhale, and when he looked up Pidge seemed to be trying not to laugh and his stomach dropped and he felt his face fall until-  
"Keith, I-I wanted to kiss you. I just... panicked at the last second." He stared at her blankly, sure he had misheard her somehow, trying to process what she must have really said but he couldn't think what else she could have said that would sound so much like 'I wanted to kiss you'.  
"...Why?" Was all he could ask.   
  
"You're my friend." Pidge said with a small smile, as though it were the most simple thing in the world. "I was scared of losing that, and I should have said something, but it was like every part of my brain just short circuited and I couldn't think straight. I'm sorry too." She actually laughed this time. "I can't believe this. You wanted... Oh Quiznak." She buried her head in her hands, shoulders shaking with laughter and Keith stared at her.   
  
"So if one of us had just... said something at the time..." He began slowly, watching as Pidge pulled her legs up onto the sofa, tucking them under herself and twisting to face him.  
"We wouldn't have freaked each other out?" Pidge supplied, and he nodded, unable to help a small laugh as she snickered, slightly giddy and still nervous.  
"In conclusion." She said, cocking her head and watching him with affection in her eyes as he copied her, turning on the couch cushions and bringing one leg up so they were both facing each other. "We're both idiots."  
"Definitely."

  
She laughed, and scooted towards him on her knees until they bumped together. She propped her cheek on her hand, elbow over the back of the couch, pursing her lips thoughtfully. He cleared his throat and dropped his gaze, suddenly feeling hot under her stare.

  
"Keith," She finally said, so quietly as if hoping he might not hear her, "Can I kiss you?"  
  
His breath caught in his throat and he lifted his head back up. She had looked up to meet his eyes and his answer, amber gaze determined. She was asking. She was actually asking- sitting right in front of him and there was really only one answer.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Almost in slow motion Pidge leaned in and he inclined his head down as one hand braced up on his chest. Her other hand came up around his neck to pull him further down, closing around the base of his braided hair.   
She hesitated for a moment, looking down at her hand and then back up at him. This close, noses almost touching, he could see her resolve waver and then set hard as she closed the space between them.  
  
Her lips ghosted over his, feather light as if she was afraid he'd disappear and he didn't blame her. He closed his eyes, hands finding her waist and he squeezed, anchoring them to each other. He wasn't going anywhere.  
Her kisses were quick, gentle and innocent, and each time she'd touch a new area as if exploring- his bottom lip, the corner of his mouth, lingering near his jaw. At one point she pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose instead of his mouth and he opened his eyes to grin down at her, "Having fun?"  
She drew back and rested her cheek on the back of the sofa to look at him. "Mmhmm."

Her lip were pressed together as though fighting against smiling wider, but it was a losing battle and it was highly contagious. His returning smile was shy, still only half believing that this was happening.   
  
"Pidge, can I kiss you?" A giggle burst from her lips at his words and he snorted with nervous laughter as well as she nodded, cuddling up until she was nearly on his lap.  
"Yes," She breathed, "yes please."  
  
He didn't hesitate as long as Pidge had; he dipped down and caught her lips with his, gentle and chaste. Once, twice and then he cupped her face and deepened the kiss, earning something between a sigh and a moan from her and triumph sparked in his chest. He wasn't the most experienced at this but he was damned if he wasn't going to try.  
  
"Wow, OK..." Pidge was a little breathless and dazed when they broke apart. "That was nice. You can do that again if you want."  
Keith bent down to kiss the freckles on her cheeks and she wrapped her arms around his neck, letting him scoop her properly onto his lap. He barely registered her weight on his thighs but she was so warm against him as she played with the end of his braid. She looked back up at him through her eyelashes with a half smile. 

  
"So I've got to go to this Winter gala-type thing tomorrow, I don't suppose you wanna be my date?"  
"I'll check my calendar." He smiled, then cocked his head at her. "Dating? Is that... What comes now?"   
Her fingers twitched on his braid. "I was half kidding, but- I'm not sure? This is all very new to me."   
"Same here." 

  
"When do you go back out?" She asked, and Keith winced.  
"You're gonna be mad."  
Pidge's eyes widened. "What- when? Not tomorrow?"  
"My mom told me I should take the rest of the year- stay for New Year celebrations with you guys. it's pretty quiet by way of active missions, so it would be OK to take it." He gave her a sheepish smile that looked more like a grimace in preparation for a coming lecture. "I... beat her down to a week."

  
"A week..." Pidge repeated slowly. Her gaze dropped to the side as she seemed to think it over. "You could have had twice that..." Keith waited for her to chide him properly, but instead she nodded to herself. "A week is good. We can work with that." 

  
Keith bit his lip, fretting as he thought about it. A week didn't seem nearly enough, not to him. This was going to be the first of a lot of talks, and romance was not his forte by any measure. This was a big deal. This was Pidge. He couldn't mess this up; they needed to take their time. He could definitely  _ask_  for more time away, but if he was needed for the Blades he would have to go. He knew it, and he knew Pidge wouldn't forgive him if he blew off his work for her.

  
The tablet, long since forgotten decided to remind the room of its presence with a message tone. Keith felt Pidge twitch in his arms, and expected her to reach for it, but when he looked down, she had the tail of his braid tucked over her top lip and under her nose like a thick black moustache.  
"Kiss me?"

  
His first guffaw of laughter was in danger of waking the rest of the house up and he clamped a hand over his mouth, sniggering into it, shoulders shaking and ribs aching. When he finally felt it was safe to look back up she was bouncing her eyebrows up and down, still twirling the end of his hair in her fingers.  
"Damn it Pidge, come here." He gathered her up for another round of kisses, and their shared laughter tasted good on each other's lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want them to be able to make each other smile and laugh. Giggly happy Kidge is a good Kidge.
> 
> I was originally going to wait until at least the third installment of this stupid series for them to get together but... I figured it was time.
> 
>  
> 
> [ I drew Pidge's outfit long before I wrote this OTL](https://twitter.com/FeatherStitched/status/1090047249667756032)


	5. "I like the shape of my nose, thanks."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They had always sort of naturally gravitated towards each other, initially as the Arms of Voltron, and later just as two night owls, two introverts on the team, so it wasn't unusual when they sat next to each other at the table.  
> Nor was it strange a little later when Pidge came downstairs, fully dressed and zipping her coat up to take Bae-Bae out, that Keith also picked up his jacket to go for a walk. Or maybe Lance and Matt were just too hungover to notice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hunk is a doll and I adore him. Still working on a longish piece with him.
> 
> This might be a ramble but it's kind of important: I still don't really know what to make of Colleen. I love the Holts, and in the runup to s8 I saw people making jokes about Pidge hiding from their mom, and I was like "? Pidge loves their fam" but then sure enough, s8 dropped and the two big interactions with her mom were arguments of sorts and I have mixed feelings on it. I'm guessing Pidge is closer to Matt and probably a bit of a Daddy's girl after that.
> 
> In that vein I was wondering if she's one of those moms that would want her kids to socialise and/or settle down, (but also work super hard and excel at their profession) , so the idea that maybe she'd set Pidge up with 'nice officer boys' was born. Even in her 20s Katie just doesn't seem interested in dating and her only friends are the paladins/MFEs. This would be taking place shortly before the first part of this AU.  
> She orchestrated the first with a nice but boring fellow in her department, and then the second asked Pidge out and Colleen encouraged it, only for it to blow up when he gets handsy and Pidge retaliates like the no-shit-taking soldier she is. 
> 
> A long deep talk follows and it's the end of Colleen's attempts to meddle though they feel closer after, I wonder what she'll make of Pidge finding a sweet, selfless and pretty handsome guy all on her own (with a little help from Hunk)
> 
> ANYWAY- This chapter will include ****************Mentions of Unwanted Advances and a little violence.****************  
>  Yaayy walks in the snow with doggos. That's more Keith's idea of a good time.

The sounds and smells coming from the kitchen were Hunk, of course they were. He was humming as he easily juggled with a crate of eggs, a pack of bacon and a sack of flour, bringing them to the counter. Keith hung back, a little wary. He didn't get time to think about it any, as Hunk whirled around with an easy familiarity to one of the cupboards and saw him.  
  
"Morning buddy. Coffee's ready, I just put it in fresh."  
"No hangover?" Keith ventured, stepping forward. Hunk was as cheery as ever, laughing as he slapped measuring jugs merrily in front of him.  
"Nope," he popped the 'p', reaching into another cupboard for something else. Keith picked up two mugs from a tree, stepping around Hunk's bent form. "But if I know Lance, he'll be needing a good old fashioned fry-up. Matt too, probably." He smiled back up at him as he straightened, whisk in hand.  
  
At the sound of Matt's name Keith couldn't help the little flinch, wondering how Matt would react to the fact he'd kissed his little sister. He'd been all jokes up til now- but would his good humor extend to him if reality hit, or would the seemingly-genetic Holt protectiveness kick in?  
  
Hunk noticed and paused, not turning back to his setup, watching as Keith crossed the kitchen to the coffee.  
"Actually, I did want to talk to you, Keith." From the corner of his eye he could see Hunk tapping his fingers together before crossing his arms in a show of determination. "I wanted to make sure you were OK."  
"Me?" Keith stopped filling his coffee midway, looking around at him. With his tall, broad stature and strong folded arms he'd be intimidating, if not for the pink apron and nervous smile.  
  
"Yeah-" the corner of his mouth twitched up, "I know it's not my place, and I promised Pidge I wouldn't meddle yesterday, but it's not yesterday anymore, and you're both my friends and I care about you both and I feel like I gotta make sure you know that-" he wasn't pausing for breath and Keith felt himself growing redder by the moment.  
"Pidge told you? About the..." Hunk paused- finally- and looked sheepish.  
  
"In her defense, I think her head was about to explode- and I kind of didn't leave her much choice, Keith! Obviously I don't know the whole story, but I was worried about you, you were pretty quiet last night- quieter than normal- and I just wanted to tell you that I'm not gonna take sides, and that I was here if you needed anything, but I didn't want to intrude-"  
  
"Pidge and I have talked, Hunk." Keith cut in gently. Hunk stopped talking, eyebrows raised, "last night- we talked, and we're good, but thank you."    
"You're good?"  
"Yeah, we're good."  He didn't offer any further information and Hunk didn't pursue for now, for which he was grateful. Instead he turned back to the counter and began lighting the stove. Keith sat down and watched as he bustled back and forth, expertly cracking eggs into bowls and separating bacon rashers.   
  
His stomach had stopped doing flips now. When it had become obvious what he was talking about he'd grown nervous. He hadn't been sure at all what to expect; Hunk was so kind, always so fair but he and Pidge were best friends, had been close from almost day one. The worried look on his face had made Keith's throat stick closed.  
The look he gave him was quite different now, a sly smile as he took in the sight of Keith slowly drinking coffee, more relaxed than before.  
  
"So, how good is good?" he asked in an attempt at a casual tone, and Keith quirked an eyebrow at him.  
"It's good."  
"What's good?" Pidge ambled into the kitchen. Her hair was a birds' nest, an over large shirt hanging off her shoulder and falling over a pair of sweatpants she'd clearly slept in, her glasses were perched on her nose out of habit. Hunk only noticed that Keith had two cups of coffee when Keith stirred sugar into the one with a starry pattern and passed it to Pidge. Her fingers brushed against his as she accepted the mug, and he couldn't fight the smile as she sidled closer to stand just behind him.  
"Coffee is good."  
"Damn straight," she breathed in the vapor rising from the mug and sighed, "Bless you."   
  
"Did you- are you two-" Hunk's eyebrows seemed to have disappeared into his hair and his grin was spreading slowly across his entire face. "Are you guys like an item now? Did you get together?"  
Keith looked over his coffee where it was still raised to his lips at Pidge, who was contemplating Keith thoughtfully.  
"We're thinking about it." She said, not taking her eyes off him. He lowered his cup to give her a shy smile and Hunk made an excited noise, bouncing on the balls of his heels and clearly torn between leaving the spitting bacon and eggs and rushing forwards to hug them both.  
  
"Hunk, eggs!" Pidge warned, seeing the internal struggle and he started guiltily but was still grinning as he turned back to tend to the food. "you can keep this to yourself, right? Last thing I want is Matt to gloat."  
"Or kill me," Keith grumbled. He drained his mug and stood up. "I need to shower."  
"Be quick, breakfast will be up soon. And don't worry guys, your secret is safe with me." He wriggled his eyebrows at the two of them. 

  
Pidge caught the wrist of his sleeve, "Walk with me after breakfast?" He nodded once and as she dropped her hand, touched his fingers to hers before heading off.  
  
Pidge caught sight of Hunk's smirking face when she turned back to her drink.  
"Shut up, Hunk."  
"I didn't say anything!"  
  
______________________________

  
  
It was almost a little surreal. Keith wasn't sure what he was supposed to have expected. Everyone ate breakfast noisily, chattering and deliberately goading the hungover members of the party. Something had changed, something he couldn't describe but it was as if his worldview had shifted just one degree, and yet nothing at all was different.   
  
He'd almost expected everyone to just  _know._ As if someone had painted "Keith 4 Pidge" in a big heart on the back of his shirt. He was sure it was written on his face when she shot him a smile from behind the stack of pancakes she was pouring syrup on, yet if the look he gave her back was particularly lost or sappy, nobody said anything.

  
They had always sort of naturally gravitated towards each other, initially as the Arms of Voltron, and later just as two night owls, two introverts on the team, so it wasn't unusual when they sat next to each other at the table.   
Nor was it strange a little later when Pidge came downstairs, fully dressed and zipping her coat up to take Bae-Bae out, that Keith also picked up his jacket to go for a walk. Or maybe Lance and Matt were just too hungover to notice.

  
  
Once out of shot of the windows and prying eyes their hands found each other as Keith ambled slowly to keep his pace even with Pidge's.  
"So, you might have guessed I freaked out to Hunk about us yesterday, and I'm sorry. I didn't think it all the way through before dragging him into what was supposed to be our business."  
  
Keith shrugged. "It's fine. You were freaking out, I was freaking out, it was all very..."  
"Freaky."   
"Yeah." He laughed once. "I can't say I wouldn't have spilled to Shiro if I'd had the chance." Now he'd gotten over the embarrassment of the surprise attack -or as close to an 'attack' as could be mustered by Hunk- he couldn't really find it in himself to feel annoyed or upset. He had other things to focus on.  
  
"I think we might have Hunk to thank for a lot. He helped me get my head on straight and told me to just talk to you like an adult." He thought back to yesterday in the kitchen, and nodded. He'd have happily hidden away the rest of the night but for their chat.  
"Smart guy, that Hunk."  
  
Pidge squeezed his hand, swinging their arms back and forth as she nudged into him. Dog and wolf were circling each other through the snow, Bae-Bae spraying waves of snow behind her as she ran around Kosmo, who seemed to pick his way more carefully, almost grimacing at wet paws.  
"So this is nice."  
"Yep." Her glove was soft in his palm, and he looked down at her, tucked in his scarf, nose and cheeks pink and grinning up at him.  
"You look cold." He said, and she didn't protest as his hand snaked its way around her back, to her opposite arm to pull her a little closer. She leaned her cheek on his upper arm and curled her arm around his waist, their footsteps falling into sync.  
"OK, this is  _really_  nice."   
  
"It's kind of weird, don't you think?" She continued lightly. "I kept expecting someone to just stand up at the table and shout 'aha! I know what you did last night!', you know?"  
"I know exactly what you mean. I keep waiting for Matt to threaten to whip my ass with that polearm he made."   
"Egh, Matt's not that archaic. My mom on the other hand..." She trailed off, flashing him another cheeky smile and suddenly Keith was a lot less worried about Matt.

While they were on the subject, he braced himself to mention something that had been niggling at him all night.  
"Pidge, I don't know a lot about... Dating."   
It was true. The little he'd gleaned was from sitcoms and movies on the TV at the Home, or later from rumors and chatter from fellow Garrison students. He put absolutely no stock in anything Lance said, ever, but thinking on how he and Allura seemed to have just fallen easily into their new life he was suddenly feeling woefully ignorant, unsure what would be expected of him.

  
"Is this the thing I said about tonight? I said I was joking; hanging around the Garrison making small talk with officers isn't my idea of a good first date."  
At his noncommittal grunt she stopped walking and swung around to face him, stopping them in their tracks. "Listen- since I've been back on Earth, I've been on two dates. Both were utterly terrible."

  
"Oh  _that's_ reassuring." He replied dryly, but- dates? Plural? He wondered when this had happened, and she seemed to see it on his face.  
"Hunk and Shiro know, but I'd appreciate you not passing this on to the others- my mom set me up. The first one was so boring I nearly fell asleep in my food. The second guy, well I broke his nose."  
"Wait-what?"   
"He got way too handsy and I got pissed off- relax, whatever you're imagining it's not that bad. It was the end of my mom's phase of trying to get me to 'meet more people' though." She ended on a laugh that Keith didn't return.

   
"Jeez, Pidge."  Dating sounded violent.

  
"I'm not telling you this to upset you, I promise." She raised a hand to adjust glasses that she'd discarded for the walk, realised and instead tugged a lock of hair under her hat. "It was... enlightening. I didn't know those people- like at all. All I could think was that I would have a far better time hanging out with you guys- At least I could talk video games with Lance, or projects with Hunk. You and I would have probably made fun of the guy in the stupid toupee the next table over. Shiro, Allura, Coran- I missed all you guys so badly sitting in that stupid restaurant.  
  
"It made me think that... There needs to be a foundation of friendship. Something to work from. I mean maybe I'm not built like other people, but I think I need to know a person before I can decide to trust them like that." She was gazing off to the side, towards the house, hands now shoved in the pockets of her coat.  
"I think I've liked you for a long time, but I put it to the back- then you came to visit. We talked about happy stuff, and not-so happy stuff. We hung out and did stuff that to me was a good time. It kind of brought a few things to the forefront for me. And I was thinking last night that I don't like the word 'dating' anyway. It screams of restaurants and flowers and I'm not into that. I just wanna hang like we normally do, you know?"  
  
She looked back up at Keith and he nodded without reply.  
"You're not gonna bore me like that dude did. And as for the second disastrous attempt- well, I trust you not to grab my ass without permission."

  
"He deserved a broken nose then." Keith managed to work up a grin.  
"It was a mess, right outside my house- I was an idiot who let him drive me home even though I'd spent the night feeling weird around him. Next thing I know his hands are on my butt, tongue in my mouth- I punch him and there's blood everywhere, he's screaming, Matt comes running- he calls me a crazy bitch so Matt calls him a crazier bitch and-"  
  
Keith watched her talking animatedly, breath puffing up in clouds that curled around her face as she scowled and huffed over her tale.   
"Hey, forget about all that." He reached out to rest a hand on her shoulder, bringing her back to the present with a small start and she stopped talking. "Tell me more about how much you like me."  
  
She snorted with laughter and let him put both hands on her shoulders to guide her closer, flushing deeper. "I think I've spilled my guts long enough."  
"Yeah?"  
"Yeah, I think it's your turn- tell me how long you've been pining for me." Her tone was teasing but he still blew his cheeks out in a pout.  
"I don't pine." He glared at her, but it was half-hearted and quickly softened as she laughed at him. "It was... probably around the time I left Earth and started leading missions for the Blade. I was still turning around to ask you stuff, and you weren't there."

  
"Ah so you only like me for my brain?"  
"Well, you are the smartest person I've ever met." He leaned closer in even as she giggled in earnest.  
  
"Wow, you really know all the right buttons to press, huh?" Pidge stood up on the toes of her boots until he could feel the warmth of her face in proximity to his, still laughing, "Hands above the belt, mister."  
"I like the shape of my nose, thanks." He smirked, and kissed her.  
  
If their faces were pink on their return, nobody questioned it- it was cold outside, after all.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pidge is SO over that guy and I don't think he'll ever approach her again, don't worry.  
> I wasn't sure about including it but I've left it in, mostly because I liked the idea of Matt responding with 'crazier bitch'
> 
> It was actually something else I was writing- a more Pidge-focused oneshot where she's on that first, utterly boring, date and contemplates times that she's hung out with the other Paladins. It's still sitting in my drafts unended but I might post it if I can figure out a nice way to end it, I really enjoyed writing the Lance segment, oddly.  
> ALSO! [ I got my Kidge Charms made! ](https://twitter.com/FeatherStitched/status/1093232414019731456)They're so pretty I'm hanging one on my noticeboard!
> 
> There'll be six, maybe seven chapters of this one. I wanna write Keith in a suuiiiiiiittttttttttttttt
> 
> Comments make me happier than I could possibly imagine!!!


	6. "All we have to do is flick the switch"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You look good. Really good."  
> "You look like you're about to throw up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: I'm really not a fan of when every chapter includes a detailed description of what every character is wearing, it always feels like too much....  
> Also Me: DESCRIBE EVERYONE'S OUTFIT. DO THE TROPE WHERE ONE GETS DRESSED UP AND FLUSTERS THE OTHER.
> 
> I really love the fanon concept of Romelle and Keith being close.

*

Keith bit back a sigh. He was almost starting to regret this. Almost.  
Behind him, Romelle pulled back on another lock of hair, speaking between numerous bobby pins between her teeth. She wasn't... Not gentle, but Romelle had a far more business like approach to the art of hair styling than Pidge had. He should have asked her. It didn't matter to him how intricate a braid was and he didn't much care for the small tugs, but it was making Romelle happy to comb and tug and tease and bark orders and so he was happy to give her this.   
  
"Sit up straighter Keith."  
He obeyed, balling his fists on his knees and arching his back forwards. Allura eyed him from where she clipped a small glittering crystal flower into her own hair.  
  
"Allura," Both of Romelle's hands were holding several twists of hair, and she nodded at a can next to her. "Can you spray please?"  
"You didn't say you'd be using hairspray." Keith shot back as Allura began shaking the can.  
"Well, were we on Altea we'd be using Nimlok wax to hold shape, but I have to admit Earth has some interesting hair products, and this is the one Lance likes. Hold your breath, now."  
Keith wrinkled his nose and scowled, shutting his eyes tight as the cold cloud of spray settled over him.  
  
"Red's a... festive colour for winter, isn't it?" Romelle asked above him.  
"Yeah, traditionally. Red and green, with golds and silvers are popular, but these days people pick other combinations.... Blue, purple, it doesn't matter much anymore." Romelle hummed in response and nodded at something he couldn't see for Allura to peer at.  
  
"I know Keith's colour is red, but I really like this shade of dark blue, it suits him."  
"You've already started with the red." Allura chided, "and it's Keith's colour.  _And_ it matches his tie."  
"I never understood why you didn't change armor colours." Romelle sighed, and Keith shrugged.   
"I like red." He said, and blinked as he felt another soft pull on his scalp. Each tug was further down towards his neck. Progress.  
He closed his eyes, occasionally responding to comments and listening to their chatter.   
  
"Ah, done." Romelle clapped her hands together and then clasped his shoulders to turn him towards the mirror on the wall.   
It looked good, as far as Keith could tell. His hair had been brushed through and combed back, twists that started at the crown of his head and continued down the back until the nape of his neck. Somewhere near the crown of his head she'd pinned a length of ribbon into his hair, and it was entwined through the braid, flashes of blood red peeping up through the black and tying off the end that hung over the front of his shoulder. He was more pleased than he thought he'd be that she'd left his bangs mostly alone; he didn't like the thought of exposing his face.

  
"It looks good, Romelle. Really, thank you."  
"Are you sure you wouldn't like any more adornments?" Allura was pawing through a small bag of trinkets and sparkling hair pieces.  
"Maybe another time?"   
  
"Hey, Allura? Lance wants his hairspray back-" Pidge popped her head through the door, looking up at the three of them.   
"Pidge, look!" Romelle spread her arms towards Keith in a sort of 'ta-da' stance.   
  
Pidge said nothing for a moment. Still halfway through the door she just stared at Keith shuffling nervously in the middle of the two Alteans.  
"What do you think? I personally think he looks very handsome."  
Keith coughed into his knuckles, cheeks pink, unable to meet her eyes.  
  
"Pidge?" She was still silently staring.  
"Oh yes, very- very handsome."  
  
"I told you we should have used blue." Romelle huffed, and when Pidge saw the alarmed look on Keith's face she shook her head.  
"No, Romelle, I mean it- you did a great job!" Pidge stepped into the bedroom and Keith nearly choked.   
  
He'd seen her have to dress up for events before, but not recently and perhaps he was riding the wave of their new... thing but he was sure she'd never looked this good. Especially with the slim cut suit she was wearing, black jacket thrown over her arm. If Keith was blushing before he felt sure his face was on fire now. The emerald green waistcoat and tie were  _doing things_  to him. Beside him, Romelle's grin turned sly.  
  
"You look handsome too, Pidge, right Keith?"   
She elbowed him and Keith stammered out a, "y-yeah, nice suit."  
  
He almost didn't notice Allura's sudden exclamation, but a second later she had pulled out a small gold pin shaped like a tree branch, small green stones set at intervals like leaves, and was fussing over Pidge.  
"Please, Pidge!"  
"Allura, you don't have to."  
"It matches perfectly!"  
"Um, OK I guess." Pidge stood still, letting Allura tilt her head up, brushing one side of her short hair back and fixing the pin a little ways behind her ear.   
"You look beautiful, Pidge." Allura was smiling, her eyes shining. "I really do love this holiday. I love that we're all together. Dressing up like this reminds me of when my mother would let me pick her jewelry for a ball."  
Pidge patted Allura's arm, smiling back up at her, not sure how to respond.  
  
"Oh- we're done with the hairspray." She gestured over to the bed, and Keith picked it up and crossed the room to the doorway to stand next to Pidge.  
"We'll take this to Lance then, let you guys finish getting ready." Keith nodded to Romelle. "Thanks again." Romelle beamed back as she packed left over pins back into her bag.  
  
Keith glanced down at Pidge as they walked down the corridor. They'd fallen easily into their regularly scheduled banter for the day, but Keith was starting to wonder if he could keep up the pretense that there was nothing going on between them in front of the others when Pidge looked so... devastating.   
  
There was a cat like sweep of eyeliner on the corner of each eye and for a moment his breath seemed to stick. Surely this was illegal.  
She glanced up at him and raised an eyebrow. He was certain his returning smile looked more like a grimace.  
  
"You look good. Really good."  
"You look like you're about to throw up." Pidge shot back, but winked at him.  
"Formal gatherings aren't my strong suit."  
"Trust me I'd far rather duck out and watch bad holiday movies in my pajamas." She said, spinning the can of hairspray in one hand. "But, duty calls and all that. I don't want to disappoint my dad."

  
Keith hummed in response; his mother wasn't going to be here, but he also knew she wouldn't care so much about what would probably be a stuffy party.   
"Stick close, and if I see an escape opportunity, I can bust you out." Pidge laughed, then banged on the bedroom door at the end of the hall, "Cover up I'm coming in!"  
  
"Jeez Pidge!" Lance's face appeared in the crack of the door but Pidge just shoved the door open and stalked in. Hunk was already dressed, coat and all, but Lance was standing bare from the waist up, dress shirt in hand.   
"Why do you two look like quiznaking glamour models and I can't get my hair to sit straight?" Lance huffed, looking the two up and down. Keith felt more like a stuffed bird in his own black waistcoat and red tie, but he shrugged as Lance pulled his shirt on, grumbling to himself.

  
"Pidge is too short to be a model." Hunk snickered and Pidge shot him a glare.  
"Not too short to kick your-"  
"just gimme the spray." Lance swiped it from her hand with a sniff and began wheeling her back to the door. "Out-out-out-out, us gentlemen need to get ready in private."   
"Implying you're more a gentleman than me." 

  
"He's just cranky because he couldn't find a tie to match his cummerbund." Hunk called and Pidge cackled, letting herself be steered away. Keith followed her, wincing when Lance slammed the door.  
  
"You don't want a drink or something? Settle your nerves?" Pidge was looking at him again, searching his face and chewing her lip.  
"I'm good. I'm not nervous."  
"Grumpy then." Pidge corrected.  
"I'm not grumpy, and drinking wouldn't solve it anyway-" He tried to argue but she was still staring.  
"Pidge come on. You know I hate these things."   
"So you are grumpy." Keith huffed in response, blowing his fringe up from his face. Pidge started shrugging her jacket on, glancing up as she fastened it shut. "You... like the suit then?"  
  
"After last night I was expecting a dress. Not that I... don't like this. I do. A lot." Could he sound anymore awkward? Pidge however seemed to become a little flustered, finally dropping her gaze.  
"Well, it's got pockets!" She laughed, cheeks turning pink. Pidge could wear a potato sack for all he cared, she'd still be amazing to him.

He wished he could say that, but his tongue felt too big for his mouth, and somehow, he knew it would never come out right. Wouldn't that be just the best way to kick off a budding relationship, by insulting her?  
  
"It's just a few hours, Keith. You can do this." Pidge cut through his silent panicking with a tap on the back of his hand and laughing again, she turned and trotted down the stairs.   
  
Her laughter continued downstairs, and when he joined her, he smirked too.  
"Only you Matt, can pull off a cravat." Matt preened in the attention, lifting his arm to lean on Shiro's human shoulder.  
"Why thank you, Keith."   
"He should pull it off, but not in that context." Pidge was raising her eyebrow at the fancy silk. "Pull it off and into a dumpster maybe."  
  
Shiro grinned. "Let him have his fun, Pidge."  
"Oh I plan to have plenty." Matt tweaked the hems of his jacket, puffing out his chest.  
   
"Speaking of which," Shiro raised his voice as the sounds of Lance and Hunk coming down the stairs reached their ears. "I know this is a party, but we're there on an official capacity. Representing the Garrison, Allura's peace efforts, the Blades' relief aids. Please guys,  _try_  to behave?"  
Keith shrugged, and next to him Hunk nodded.   
  
"I'm still dancing, I don't care what you guys say, you're just jealous of my moves." Lance said, and Shiro looked at Pidge and Matt.  
"No explosions this year, please."  
"We got it this time- the tests went perfectly. Let's go party." Matt grinned, and Pidge held her thumbs up, smirking at her brother.   
"What needed testing?" Shiro called after Matt as he skipped towards the door. "Matt,  _what needed testing_??"  


*

  
"All set?"   
"The timers are all prepped and ready to go with a flick of this switch." Pidge held up the tangle of wires, and Matt looked out over their handiwork.   
"Garrison fireworks are scheduled for 2100 hours to officially open the party- their setup has been overridden, all we have to do is flick the switch in exactly..." Matt looked down at the numbers on his wrist, "Four minutes and forty nine seconds. Plenty of time you to explain why you've not told me about your new boyfriend."  
"Why didn't you tell me about  _your_ new boyfriend?" Pidge countered.  
  
"Shiro and I have been long distancing it for a while." Matt had his eyes on the numbers, but glanced back up at Pidge to offer her a grin. "We weren't sure if it would work so we didn't want to tell anyone until we knew we were in it for the long haul. Also- don't think I didn't notice you not denying he's your boyfriend."  
  
"Well- he's- we're..." Pidge groaned and Matt continued smiling blithely as he sat down behind the fence, breath visible as a swirl of vapor. "I don't really know if that's what he is yet. We've talked about... that stuff, but neither of us really have any experience, or knows what that entails, especially considering he's going back into space soon."  
  
"Hmn, being in different galaxies for months at a time does throw a spanner in the works."   
  
Pidge wasn't really in the mood to be talking about this- she'd already managed to drag Hunk into the whole thing without thinking about how Keith might take it. True, Matt seemed to have been rooting for them before it had even consciously crossed her mind that she and Keith could be a thing, seeing something that she'd been refusing to acknowledge, but that didn't make it right. However at his words her attention was caught.  
  
"Is it hard? Having to be apart for so long?" Pidge slid down to squat next to him, watching the clock tick down, and thumbing the switch she'd have to flip.  
"Wondering if you guys will be able to handle it?"  
  
Pidge nodded, and chewed her lip as she thought. A week, they had together to figure out what they wanted to do. On one hand, the introvert in her didn't feel like long distance was  _that_ big a deal. She liked to be left alone to work, even when it came to family. On the other... She was man enough to admit to herself she'd been pining for a while. There was an easy quiet that came with Keith, especially now that they weren't caught in the middle of an active war, and the more she tasted of what could be, the more she wanted.  
  
She wanted Keith to be her boyfriend. The thought made her face feel hot and her stomach lurched, but not entirely unpleasantly.  
  
She wanted the simple things, really. Those rare but so sweet smiles that made his eyes soften. The touch of his hand on hers, and now the way he held her around the waist and had to lean down to kiss her. Honestly she was probably getting a little giddy with how often she wanted to kiss him now that she knew she could, but he didn't seem to be complaining about that. She felt greedy, like those small stolen moments weren't enough.  
  
Would she be able to go for weeks, or months at a time without these new experiences that set butterflies off in her stomach, to use the old adage? What if the novelty wore off and things grew awkward, or worse? As friends, their fights were comparatively few and far between, but when they happened they were fierce and explosive, damaging for anyone who got within the blast radius. They could be stepping into something there was no turning back from.   
  
"We don't have much choice, I guess." Pidge said finally, quietly. "Not while our work takes us where it does. I'm... worried. He's my friend and, if things go wrong, I'm losing a lot more than I might be willing to risk."  
"Gee, if only you had someone to talk to, like an older brother or something, who knows how it feels to be in love with one of your best friends."   
"I'm not in love." Pidge huffed, and Matt laughed.  
  
"Pidge you know how long I had that dopey crush on Shiro. He was my hero, and then my best friend, and then my colleague, and best friend again. Two minutes-" He poked the arm that was holding the switch and she turned it over in her hand.  
"Point is I was terrified to tell him how I felt for so long in case I lost my best friend. I never thought he'd hurt me or stop being my friend, but I was afraid that things would be awkward and it would leave a mark on our friendship. It's a big risk taking that leap, but you have to look at that risk, and weigh up whether or not it's worth it to you. I made my choice to tell him, and I'm glad I did."  
  
"I already messed it all up once already, Matt. I panicked over- something, and ran off and it was... not good for a little while. We patched it up, but it could have been worse." Matt hummed, but didn't ask her to elaborate.  
  
"Then you're going to have to learn to communicate with each other, but here's your advantage- you're already friends. You know what you both like and dislike- what makes the other tick. Sure you'll have to tweak some things, and learn more about each other, but that's going to take time. You only live once, Pidge. I have a feeling if you chicken out of this you'll regret it later. Hey-" Matt leaned in closer "Ten seconds!"  
  
Ten. She was going to have to make a decision.  
Nine. Take a leap, and see where gravity took them?  
Eight. Or play it safe, in case they hit the ground?  
Seven-

  
"Hey have you made out yet?"  
" _Matt_!"  
"You have, haven't you!"  
  
One. She hit the switch.  
  
*  
  
From the first explosion, Keith could tell this was not what the Garrison had planned, if the muttering from the higher ups was anything to go by. He stood with Hunk, looking up as the coloured outlines of several lion heads faded and slipped down the skyline.   
"Think I know what those two were up to now." Hunk grinned at him and he snorted.   
  
"Hey guys!" An arm hooked under Keith and Pidge squeezed in between him and Hunk, her other arm around Hunk's. There was the faint smell of burning and the ends of her hair were smoking.   
"Pidge, are you on fire?" Hunk patted at her hair with one hand, and she ducked down under Keith's arm and out of Hunk's reach.  
"Nope- nope, just a small overload when we hit the switch. We fixed it though. You like the show?"  
  
"It's very 'you'." Hunk laughed, swiping at Pidge's upper arm to hold her and wipe at a black smudge on her cheek before she could squirm away again.  
"Now's a great time to leave Keith- if you want me to bust you out."  
"I think I'm good. There's a firework show I'm interested in watching. A friend of mine set it up." He smirked down at her, her face illuminated green and reflecting off her eyes and flickering back to dark.   
Pidge pulled both him and Hunk closer and he wondered if it was just because she wanted to, if she was trying to take attention away from the way she was running her thumb over his wrist, or if she was simply hoping his height and Hunk's bulk would shield her from Garrison officers.  
  
Another whistle and a bang and a large silver "V" shimmered in the sky, and a bellow of "HOLT" echoed across the grounds. In the crowd of people, two auburn haired figures flinched.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nunvil is for volume and shine- the wax is to hold shape, don't you know.
> 
> Oh god so I have about six different drafts for this chapter- no, the whole story. I'm contemplating posting a collection of some of the drafty bits because ugh some of them I really liked.
> 
>  
> 
> [Twitterz!](www.twitter.com/FeatherStitched)


	7. "Stop doing weird things to my dog."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I thought I'd get used to us all being apart, and sometimes it's easy to forget, but then it all hits me all at once."
> 
> Pidge is upset that the holiday is coming to an end and everyone will be disappearing off again- but on the bright side she might have found something to help out with her work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me back when this first became a chaptered series: "I'll keep chapters about 2k words, that's a good length for me."  
> Me tonight: -looks at word count-  
> -sweats-
> 
> Yes, they're STILL in that stage of being stupid giddy to cuddle and smooch and then pretend to be totally normal(tm) friends in front of the others. So far Matt knows, and Hunk sort-of knows, certain other peeps probably have a hint and will work it out in later fics, but atm it's on the down low please keep your mouth shut, Matt.
> 
> This was supposed to be the last chapter but it ran away from me so I'm cutting it off here and will do one more for them to say goodbye and we can move on to better ideas.
> 
> Also Krolia knows work is important but her son is young and needs to have fun Damnit.

*

The week had flown by so quickly. The others had gotten wind of Keith's travel plans, and Krolia had been nonplussed when Lance, Allura and Hunk had appeared on her screen, demanding he be allowed to stay for the New Year.   
To their bewilderment she had shrugged and said there had never been anything to stop him staying, and Keith had been even more confused when he was dog-piled into the sofa and told via babbling chorus that he'd be staying on Earth an extra week.  
  
True to Pidge's word, along with the outings and the shopping and the eating, there had been Holiday movie pajama sessions, nestled in piles with bowls of popcorn and candy piled precariously on sofa arms and between feet.   
The first night Pidge had leaned back on Hunk, warming her feet under Keith's legs and occasionally pelting Lance with sweets. The next time Keith still hadn't worn the red pajamas given to him back at the Castle of Lions. Coran, Lance and Hunk had frogmarched him back up to his room insisting it wasn't a 'pajama movie night' if the dress code wasn't adhered to by everyone.   
  
Keith had tried to insist he'd grown out of them, he'd lost them, he hadn't packed them, but then when Coran presented him with a brand new set from seemingly nowhere with a flourish, his shoulders had slumped and he'd admitted defeat.  
He'd sat on the floor, Pidge on one side of him, Romelle on the other, letting them both cuddle up to the poofiness that only a brand new plush robe has. With Pidge's face pressed into his arm, petting the soft fabric along his forearm, he'd decided it wasn't so bad.  
  
Pidge had needed to return to work the day after the Garrison event, and Keith had started taking Kosmo to pick her up in the evenings. When Lance had raised an eyebrow at Keith throwing on his jacket on the third evening in a row, he'd just shrugged and mumbled that it was faster to take the wolf than expect her to drive or walk. To Hunk and Matt's credit they'd both nodded and innocently agreed with Keith, placating Lance for the time being and gifting Keith and Pidge a few minutes to themselves each evening.  
  
This current schedule was a mixed blessing for Pidge. Had it not been for Keith and Kosmo coming to pick her up, she'd probably stay all night puzzling over readouts and brainstorming at her desk and missing out on valuable slack-off time with the others. She wasn't used to being pulled away from her work at a 'regular' hour, but it did mean she was distracted before she could start pulling her hair out in frustration.   
However as the days passed and the impending departure of her friends loomed closer, Pidge might have preferred to spend more time at work.  
  
It was illogical, she knew, to react by shutting herself away, but even Matt would be leaving this time and though it was only for a few weeks, she was starting to resent her decision to ground herself.  
  
She was going to miss everyone. She was going to miss her brother. She was going to miss Keith, both him and his wolf.  
  
The greeting of a warm muzzle pushing into her hand was becoming familiar and welcomed, a precursor to the gentle touch to her arm that normally followed, further rousing her from her work. It was still making her giddy whenever he initiated a touch.  
  
This time however there was a small -pop- and Pidge found herself holding onto Kosmo's shoulders to stay upright, head whipping around to peer through the dying light.  
They were in a hangar, a cruiser looming above her with the entrance open.  
  
"Pidge?"  
Keith appeared from around a corner, a box in his arms. "What are you doing here?"  
"Kosmo brought me." Pidge looked at the box, a sinking feeling in her chest. "Are you sneaking off?"  
  
"What? No, I-" Keith paused, looking up at the ship and back to Pidge. "I figured, if I started prep while you were at work, I'd have more time with- uh, everyone- tonight and tomorrow."  
"Smart plan."  
  
"Big praise, coming from you." He set the box down near the ramp and jammed his hands in his pockets as he came closer.  
  
He reached for her hand but as he did she turned away to look properly out of the hangar and he let his hand drop, frowning.  
"Having second thoughts about our plan?" He tried to keep his tone light as he stepped backwards, and Pidge whipped her head back around.  
  
"What? No! It's a good plan. It's a very logical, very sensible plan." She was pouting up at him. "It's just..."  
"Yes?"  
"You're going up into space tomorrow, and I'm... not."  
Keith frowned, but then followed her gaze up and out of the hangar, up to the sky. The stars weren't quite visible yet, but a few peeped out from behind the clouds.  
  
"You miss it too."  
The moon reflected in the lenses of her work glasses, and she took them off, flicking them folded to put in the pocket of her lab coat. "Of course I do. I always wanted to go into space. Before Voltron, before Kerberos. I wanted to be just like my dad. Still do."  
  
She was shivering a little, arms wrapped around her middle and Keith mentally cursed the wolf for bringing her over without her coat or scarf but didn't reach out again.  
  
"At the moment, I'm grounded to Earth. My contract at the Garrison started as a project updating security over the bases, and then turned into upgrading defense satellites... Now I've been given the wormhole tech job. I only meant to stay here a year or so and it's now been over two- and I'm now looking at another nine months, and that's if we can get back on schedule."   
  
Pidge turned her head to look back up at him. "I never meant to stay down here so long. Everyone's leaving again soon, and I'll still be here."  
  
Her eyes were bright with barely contained emotion, mouth down turned as she gripped the fabric around her waist until her knuckles turned white, and Keith felt like he was crumbling at the edges. There was nothing he could really say right now. Nothing he could offer was enough. He couldn't just whisk her off planet because he wanted to, or because she was lonely, no matter his feelings on the situation.  
  
"I thought I'd get used to us all being apart, and sometimes it's easy to forget, but then it all hits me all at once. There's no giant robot forcing us all to stay together, and sometimes it's so, so hard. I can't just bang on Lance's door and thrash him at video games, or ask Hunk to help me run code, or sit with you all night debating the existence of alien vampires."   
  
Keith cracked a half smile at the last part and she matched it even as she curled in on herself a little.  
"We're all doing our part, but the universe is so vast and it's pulled us apart the last few years. I'm just..."  
  
"Pidge..." This time she reached for him, he let her fall forwards into his chest and he wrapped his arms tentatively around her. Her labcoat was far too light to be in a drafty hangar at night. Her chin, elbows and hip bones were angular, digging against him like she was made of metal as she stood stiffly, trying to hold herself together but as he surrounded her best he could, trying to pour some of his own body heat into her she seemed to melt a little against him. Her back was trembling as he smoothed circles with his hands over her coat to generate warmth and whatever comfort he could offer.  
  
"I'm gonna miss you." She mumbled into his jacket with a suspicious sounding sniffle.  
  
"Do you want to know some... kinda good news?" Keith asked, and she looked up at him, nodding "yes", her lower lip pushed out past her top in a pout.  
  
"Kolivan and I decided where I'm being stationed. It's a planet a couple of galaxies away. The Galra that had taken over have already been driven off and communications are back up, so I should be able to contact you from there at least."  
  
"That is good." Her voice wasn't as shaky as before, but she stayed pressed to him. "Why is Kolivan sending you there if the Galra are gone? Aren't there already agents over there?"  
  
"The Galra don't usually try to take back a sector unless they want something, or think they have a shot at winning. Apparently they were mining this planet for some element they can use in weapons and it's pretty valuable. Kolivan and I talked it out together, and we want a good squad there as a defense, in case someone thinks they can come claim it while they're still somewhat vulnerable."  
  
"And you're the best they've got."  
"Naturally." He quirked a smile at her, raising an eyebrow.  
"You'll keep yourself safe though, right?" Pidge shivered again and he pulled his jacket as far around her as he could, trapping them together.  
  
"You know me, Pidge. Always cautious, always playing it safe."  
She snorted, and pressed her cheek to his chest, burrowing into his warmth.  
  
"For what it's worth..." Keith moved a stray lock of hair away from her forehead, letting his fingers linger by her cheek. "I'm going to miss you too. I was worried because I'm not always safe to message, or able to set up a good connection. Some of the planets I go to have been pretty much cut off from the rest of the universe by the Empire and we have to re-route the systems the Galra set up, or completely rebuild new ones."  
  
"Ah, see I'd be good at helping out with that. I could have all their systems neutralized and back in the right hands in no time. I could help with defense systems and scramble the Galra tech before they'd know what hit them."  
That confident tone was back, for the moment. Talking technology had that effect on Pidge. Keith listened to her tell him about a new device she'd drawn out vague plans for last year, stroking her hair until her chatter slowed to a halt.  
  
He tucked his chin over her head, the curve of her face pressed along the line of his neck and together they stood, Pidge's arms around his waist under his coat, fingers fidgeting against his spine. One of his hands held his jacket around her back, the other still teasing with the ends of her hair.  
  
"Come with me." He said quietly, chin moving against the top of her head. "When you're done here. Come out with me. Not just because of me- you'd be a big help to the Blades. I-" He paused, turning his head to the side but still resting along her hair. "I wanted to ask you before- back before I knew you'd taken the Garrison job. It seemed logical, and I figured it'd be good to have familiar backup- but then you told us you wanted to spend time with your family, so I left it alone."  
  
Something tugged at Pidge's memory, and also at her chest. Keith in a Blade uniform, describing the ship he was going to take when he left Altea, the Blades' plan to start driving back Galra forces and locating the groups of warlords and pirates that had been wreaking havoc across space.  
Telling him about her plans to stay on Earth with her parents. The flicker of  -something- on his face that she'd noticed, but it had been gone almost faster than she could register, and she'd tucked it away, out of her mind. Written it off as a weird Keith thing.  
  
"It's- going to be a while before I can make a decision like that. Do you think you can handle it? Not being able to do this?" She tapped on the center of his back, and tilted her head back to look up at him.  
"I'm going to have to." He replied. "I've already... you know. Liked you, while we've been apart. Is it going to be much different?"  
"Well you know what you're missing now." She raised her eyebrows at him, teasing and he grinned and pressed a kiss to her forehead.  
  
"True. I'll have to make the most of it tonight." He was smiling, one corner of his lips quirked up, but the twitch of his brow told her he was worried. She reached up and laid a palm over his unmarred cheek and he hissed.  
"Your hands are freezing."   
"Sorry." She said, making to remove it, but he pressed one significantly warmer hand over hers, holding it in place and closing his eyes.  
  
"Just a minute." He said quietly. "And then I'll get you home where it's warm."  
"No rush?"   
"Well, Lance is picking the movie tonight, so I'm really in no rush."  
"Lance's taste isn't  _that_ bad." Pidge teased, "I've put him onto a lot of good stuff lately."  
  
"He's been talking about some... Norweigan movie, about snow zombies?"  
Pidge pulled a face, "Oh. Oh no, I think know that one. Just... Let's not sit near Hunk, OK?"  
"That bad huh?"  
"He doesn't do zombies."  
  
Keith sighed and opened his eyes to look down at her. "Come on, before you turn to ice." Pidge nodded, her face a little glum again but instead of moving away she adjusted her hold on his cheek to bring him down to her level.   
  
Like the rest of her, her lips were cold on his and he felt almost bad for stealing her warm puffs of breath, gathering her up in his arms to try and keep her warm.  
He filed away for later use the little noises she made in her throat when he kissed her, the way she tugged gently at his bottom lip with her teeth, far braver than he was at exploring his mouth. The way she had to stand on her toes to reach him; he knew he could pick her up if he wanted, hold her easily at a better height, but dared not in case she made a fuss.  
The way she sometimes seemed a little dazed when they pulled away for breath, she sometimes wore such a dreamy little smile that his stomach flipped until he wanted to scoop her up and kiss her even more.   
  
This time though he really ought to get her home. He whistled for the wolf as he rubbed up and down her biceps to create heat under her skin. Kosmo loped across from -wherever he'd been- to the two of them and Keith pulled a face at him.  
"Next time, give her chance to put a coat on, will you?"  
The wolf cocked his head and gave them both a long look. Keith puffed back at him, rolling his eyes. "I'll blame you when she turns into a Snow Zombie. Let's get home."  
Pidge nodded as the wolf drew closer, giving them a large furred shoulder, and then squawked a "Wait! Your scarf is at my office!"  
When he looked at her, eyebrows drawn up in confusion, she pressed on. "I need to give it back to you, tonight or tomorrow before you go. You said you'd pick it up on your next visit."  
"Don't worry about it, Pidge."  
  
"I want to get it, and I didn't lock everything down properly." Her lip was pulled between her teeth and she looked so worried that he nodded to her, and then to the wolf.  
  
*  
  
The lights were still on and the computers were still running in Pidge's office; she'd not had a chance to turn anything off before Kosmo had pulled her away. Keith gingerly shifted a small stack of files across the desk enough for him to perch on and watch as she scurried back and forth, checking some monitors and powering down others, tapping at terminals and muttering to herself.   
  
Seemingly satisfied she grabbed her coat and bag from behind a computer tower, but the scarf was draped carefully over her large wheeled chair. Pidge glanced over at him, then wrapped it around her neck and tugged the ends through the loop she'd made in the center. She grinned at him as she patted down the lapels of her coat.  
"OK, let's go- Ow!"  
  
Keith stood up, moving towards her as she flapped her hand from side to side. There were stray orbs of blue light around her still from their jump, and she swatted them away.  
"I got a static shock! That's so weird, it's almost like... like..." She slowed to a stop, no longer waving the lights away and instead peering from them to Kosmo, who looked back at her, tail swaying slowly.   
"Pidge?"  
"...of course, on a smaller scale the effect would be weaker, but is it the same premise as... Keith!"  
"Yeah?"  
"Take Kosmo somewhere- teleport out with him." She indicated the wolf, and Keith followed her arm with his eyes, frowning.  
"Where?"  
"Doesn't matter." Pidge was now setting up a screen on her arm, tapping at quickly flashing screens and aiming it at the wolf. "Teleport out, then if you could give it a minute or two or five before returning so that I can properly log the readings before you come back here, that'd be great."  
"I- OK?" Kosmo padded up behind him as he nodded, and he looked to the large creature, laying a hand along his shoulders. "You heard the lady."  
  
Pidge's office and her concentrating face disappeared, and when his eyes next focused they were standing outside the ice cream parlor in town, Kosmo looking up at him expectantly. He snorted and pushed on his muzzle, laughing to himself.  
"Maybe another time..." The wolf pushed back against his hand, and then planted the top of his head against the small of his back, shoving him towards the open doors. "...OK fine! What flavor do you think Pidge will want?"  
  
When they reappeared Pidge was typing furiously, her eyes locked on the moving screen and following the moving scales. She barely glanced up when he placed a takeaway bowl on the floor, thinking it would keep Kosmo still, and didn't react when he came to stand at her shoulder.  
  
"Why did I never run tests on him before?"  
"Because the time you tried I said 'Stop doing weird things to my dog, Pidge'."   
"Oh yeah. And I said 'That's no dog it could eat Bae-Bae for breakfast', and you threatened to take him back out of Green if I insulted him again- this is great, both readings are consistent-"  
  
She stepped back, watching the readings and reaching for another terminal. "This isn't exactly the same as the energy readings I get from the failed tests of my wormholes- but if I can just match them up and find  _any_  similarities I could-"  
"Pidge?"  
"The excess energy that's causing the apparatus to overload could be redirected if I can just-"  
"Pidge-"  
"-scale is much, much bigger which could be why it's exploding, but that force could be used to-"  
"Pidge!"  
She jumped as though she'd been shocked again, and looked around at him as though surprised he was still there.  
  
"Pidge, the others are waiting for us." He said gently. She looked from Keith to the screens, chewing her lip.  
  
"But I could- I need to compare these readings to the failed tests! I could figure out what's going wrong and I could work on a fix! Kosmo gives off an excess of kinetic energy when he makes those jumps, but he's so much smaller that it can be expelled with little to no damage to himself or anyone else. I've been struggling to get consistent readings when my wormhole tests fail because of the damage to the apparatus and my devices, but these controlled results could fill in the gaps for me-"   
  
She looked bright and distraught at the same time as she gestured at the screens and back to Kosmo, torn between her machines and coming home. Chewing on a hangnail she only barely tore her eyes from the screens to look at him as he spoke again.  
"Can you look at this at home? On your laptop?"  
  
"I mean- I guess I could, if I download these onto my portable drive."  
"I don't want to stop you, but tonight's the last night and you'll kick yourself if you stay here until dawn trying to work."  
  
Her shoulders slumped forwards, and she nodded.   
"You're right. You're leaving, Matt's leaving. Everyone is. I should come home. Let me just transfer these to a drive."  
  
When she retreated back to him and Kosmo, Keith curled an arm around her waist to bring her closer to the wolf.   
"You've got this, Pidge."   
  
*  
  
When they got back into the house, the others were already set up with blankets, fresh popcorn and snacks and looked around in unison at the returning pair.  
"What took you both so long? We expected you back ages ago." Allura frowned, and Keith held up a paper bag Pidge hadn't even noticed.  
"Pidge wanted to get ice cream for everyone." He grunted. "As an apology because she's gonna work while the movie's on."  
  
The zombie movie was terribly bad, as promised. Keith had piled cushions on the floor and sat with his back against the couch, Pidge curled between his legs with a blanket surrounding the pair of them. She spent most of the movie poring over her screen, using a stylus with one hand to adjust things and scrawl notes, the other holding one of his hands under the blanket where it would be hidden. He occasionally peered at her notes over her shoulder, resting his chin on her head when he figured nobody would pay attention.   
  
Pidge was a nesting creature by nature, known to burrow into blanket forts with the occasional hostage and though Shiro made a comment about Pidge finding a perfect space heater in Keith, they were left to their own devices by the others, knowing she was working and would likely grumble or snap if pressed.  
  
"Told you he doesn't do zombies." She said without so much as a glance up as Hunk stumbled out halfway. Keith snorted as Lance grumbled back at her. She barely noticed even when the movie ended and as people began to retire for bed.  
  
"If I leave, will you stay here all night?" Keith mumbled eventually, where he was slumped back against Shiro's leg. Pidge hummed as she chewed on the end of her stylus.  
"No?"  
"Pidge."  
"One last calculation.  _Please_."  
"You've got five minutes," Shiro muttered sleepily, shifting his leg as Keith sat forwards again.  
"I'll get it in three." Pidge shot back.   
"Make sure she gets to her room, Keith." Shiro eased himself out of the sofa, his voice thick. "I don't want to find her here in the morning."  
"Will do."  
"You're both cruel." Pidge grumbled to Shiro's back as he left, chuckling.  
  
Keith watched Shiro leave, and glanced around the empty room. He paused for a moment, eyeing the triangle of skin where her hair parted around her neck.   
"Pidge..." He leaned forward and rested his chin on her shoulder. "You gotta sleep."  
The stylus was placed on the carpet and he grinned in triumph when she leaned back against him, letting him fold his arms around her waist.   
" _One_ more little sum?" She asked, and he could hear the sleep laced in her voice.  
"Come back to it tomorrow with fresh eyes."  
"You mean tomorrow after everyone's gone."  
"It'll pass the time until we're back?" He offered, and she rested her hands on top of his. "Pidge this is good, right? You can get back on track?"  
  
"I'll not know until I can test it properly, but.." Pidge tilted her head to look at her screen. "I think I've got something. I can run it by Coran and Hunk in the morning."  
"That sounds like a good plan. A better plan is getting some rest."  
"OK, OK. Jeez."  
"Good because I don't want to have to drag you to bed."  
  
*  
  
The corridor outside Pidge's room was deserted, and Keith took the opportunity to lean down and kiss her cheek. Pidge reached up for him, tilting his face to kiss him properly and he wasn't about to complain. Even as he drew away she pressed forward as if pulled in by some magnetic force and he laughed through his nose.   
  
She opened her mouth as if to ask something, then shut it, started again but then bit down on the inside of her mouth, looking at him with a flash of white as her teeth worried at her lip. He thought he could see the question written in those amber eyes, but he didn't press. Technically this wasn't a proper relationship yet, not by the plan they'd set out, and if he was wrong- well he wouldn't live it down. He offered her a crooked smile instead.    
"Goodnight Pidge."  
"Night."   
  
He could feel her eyes on him all the way back to his room.

 

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a cold sweat the other day because I forgot why the wormholing thing was supposed to be difficult here- I confused myself but Allura/Honerva powered all Teludavs seen in the show. These need to work without an Altean using alchemy/magic. I have no idea what I'm talking about with Kosmo, I don't think he's powered by scaultrite or anything stupid (though he is blue???) I just thought maybe his powers were .... similar enough that Pidge could draw some inspiration from him.
> 
> The movie is Dead Snow and it is ridiculous. It's about nazi zombies at a ski cabin. Random, right? But I watched it in its original language yeeaaars ago and it seems suitably stupid enough for Pidge and Lance to have sat and criticized it.


	8. "Does your mom know you talk like this?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A stream of tears gleamed on Pidge's cheeks, and though she was smiling her teeth were digging imprints into her lower lip to stop it from trembling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man this has been drafted and re-drafted so many times OTL OTL

*  
  
Not for the first time today, Pidge was furiously biting back tears.  
  
"I'll not be gone long, Pigeon." Matt enveloped her in a hug and she clung to her brother. "You'll keep an eye on mom, right?"  
"Of course." Pidge said thickly as he squeezed her, before releasing her to hold her shoulders and look at her.  
  
"Come on, Pidge. I've been away before, it's gonna be fine. You'll be fine, I'll be fine. We'll be one big pile of fine."  
"I know." She tried to surreptitiously dab at her eyes, but Matt just carried on smiling reassuringly. Some might think it odd, that Pidge considered her brother one of her best friends. Pidge didn't care. After all they'd been through, sometimes Matt was her only lifeline, the only one who could really understand.   
  
Their mother would most likely spend the next few days in a fog until Matt could send a message across. The pain of losing half their family the first time had never quite dissipated and it was still jarring sometimes when one of the Holts was called away on business off planet.   
  
Allura and the others had already said their goodbyes; upon seeing Pidge's eyes wet with tears Hunk had sobbed plenty of his own, lifting her off her feet and promising to come back to visit soon. Pidge had just patted his shoulders, not able to trust herself to speak. It was hard to say goodbye, no matter how temporary.  
  
Pidge pushed the thoughts back as Shiro stepped away from Keith's side and in for one last hug with her. He was warm and comforting, even as she was sure his arms completely swallowed her from sight.  
"Take care of Matt, OK? Don't let him get kidnapped by aliens." She said, purposefully just loud enough for Matt's ears to burn.  
"I'll do my best- you know how he is."  
  
"That was  _one time_!" Matt called from the bottom of the loading ramp, and Shiro and Pidge both laughed, though hers was punctuated by a hiccup.  
" _Twice_  if you count the rebels taking you!" She cupped her hands around her mouth to shout towards him, watching him throw his head back with laughter.  
  
Even with Shiro's height and shining hair, the pair were quickly swallowed by the lines of crew members embarking up the ramp and Pidge's own vision blurring with moisture.   
Keith was there, suddenly. A quiet presence by her side, one finger hooking around hers as she peered out over the heads for one last glimpse of silver or auburn.  
  
He let her stand a little longer, before murmuring low in her ear, "we'll have a better view of take-off from the upper levels."  
She nodded, and let him lead her away, walking close to the wall to keep out of the way of crew members and officers alike, and stealing up the stairs.   
  
Keith didn't stop at the next floor, or even the third. He kept going until he was opening the door that led onto the roof. Pidge managed a laugh as he took her other hand to guide her closer to the caged edges. Of course by 'upper levels' Keith would mean the roof.  
  
"We've probably got a little while before they actually take off." He checked the device on his wrist and nodded, dumping the small bag that had been slung over his shoulder and sitting down on a concrete maintenance box. Pidge sank down next to him, removing her glasses and drying them off on her coat, before wiping her face with the back of her hand.  
  
"Sorry, I'm being a big baby."  
"You're really not. They're your family."  
"I was the only one crying."  
"You really weren't." Even if they didn't count Hunk's bawling, and Allura's own misty eyes, there had been plenty of other groups of friends and family members saying emotional goodbyes all around them.   
  
He reached out and patted her leg, letting it rest on her knee. Pidge wriggled her own hand underneath, pressing her fingers through between his. The leather of his gloves was cracked around the joints of his fingers, worn soft with age. He wasn't dressed in his Blade uniform yet; his favored leather jacket was open over an old, slightly faded hooded sweater and he tucked the jacket back when she leaned into him, letting her rest her face in the soft jersey fabric.  
  
Occasionally she turned their hands in her lap to watch the time on his wrist, but Keith wasn't paying attention to the time. He watched as the morning sun started to pierce its way through the early fog, eventually beginning to light up the roof where they sat together and warm them both up a little.   
He closed his eyes against the light and squeezed her hand.  
  
An announcement over a speaker sounded in the distance and Pidge cocked her head away from his chest in an attempt to listen.  
"That's probably them."   
  
The rumbling vibrations were traveling up the buildings, through the concrete and into their bones. Pidge stood up, and hands still clasped, pulled him to the wire fence that surrounded the edges.   
The white ship was humming, a steady increase in volume and intensity and they craned their necks to watch it rise, up and up, elegant despite its grand size, leaving a trail of light behind her as she faded from view.  
  
Keith glanced to his side. A stream of tears gleamed on Pidge's cheeks, and though she was smiling her teeth were digging imprints into her lower lip to stop it from trembling. She stayed looking up until the ship was well out of view, peering into the sky as though she could still see them, and he looked away to let her clean her face again.  
  
"You gonna be OK?" The hand that still held hers squeezed a little and Pidge nodded.  
"It's fine. I'll be fine, this isn't the first time Matt's gone away. And it's not for long, plus Hunk will be visiting again real soon- apparently his grandma has demanded he come back for his birthday, so he'll probably swing by. The convenience of having a working Teludav on the Atlas."  
"I'm glad. That he'll be visiting you, I mean."  
  
Pidge nodded, and let him lead her back to the concrete box, sitting on it with her stood in front of him, so that for once she was looking down at him. Their faces were almost level and he couldn't help but reach up and swipe at a missed streak of moisture on her cheek, marveling a little that this was  _Pidge._ Pidge pressing her face into the palm of his hand, Pidge letting him touch her, letting him kiss her. Pidge telling him that the growing feelings he'd been trying to push away, to cram back down into a small corner somewhere in the back of his mind because he was so afraid of the consequences, were returned.  
  
And now he was going to leave her, for who knows how many phoebs.  
  
"What about you?" She was asking, "Are you gonna miss all of us?"  
"Of course." He replied, watching as her small hand tried to cover his, holding it to her cheek as she watched him answer. "I always miss you guys- I always miss you."  
  
"It's weird isn't it?" She closed her eyes for a moment, thumb tracing up and down the seam of his glove. "In some ways it doesn't feel much different. I always miss you, always worry about you. Maybe a little more than the others because you're off on your own so much, but... It's the same and yet really, really different."  
  
"It's bigger, this time." Keith said quietly, and Pidge twisted slowly so that she could sink down onto his knee, winding her legs up and over to drape over his lap.  
He let her settle against him, and folded his arms around her completely.  
"Yeah, bigger." She repeated into his collar.   
  
Keith pressed his face into her hair, close to her ear and let her scent fill his lungs, let her warmth permeate through to his bones. She was melting into his arms, pressing her face closer into his neck.  
  
"We'll figure this out." Keith said. "In the meantime you'll just have to crack the worm-holing, and then we can see each other whenever we want. I can come home for dinner at the drop of a hat."  
"Well, once it's worked out there's a lot of financial matters, and security and I have to draft out all the paperwor- oh." She laughed once, opening her eyes to give him an exasperated look. "That was a joke."  
  
"Not a good one, I know."   
She laughed again and brushed his hair back to touch a kiss to his chin. "You're such a dork."  
"I'd like to be  _your_  dork."  
   
Pidge's cheeks were blown out, top teeth clamped over her lip to stifle her laughter. "Dork to Smooth in- what was that? Less than ten seconds?"  
"You call that smooth? Pidge, you need to look up the definition of the word."   
  
They both snickered for a moment, then when Pidge's laughter died she sat contemplating him, expression unreadable. The device on Keith's wrist beeped- the air around them changed, seemed to sink. Keith sighed.  
  
"I have to go soon."  
"I know. Can we just... stay here a little while longer?"  
  
Keith nodded and tucked his chin over her head. "A little longer, then."  
  
*  
  
Keith finished shoving his civilian clothes into his bag, and straightened up, hoisting it back over his shoulder.  
Pidge had been waiting outside the ship, and he grinned to himself at the sight of her sprawled on the floor petting Kosmo, ruffling her hands vigorously through the fur on his neck as he lolled against her legs.  
  
"You take care of him for me," she was saying as she bent forward to kiss his muzzle. "Don't let him get into trouble."  
The wolf cocked his head around as Keith came into view and rolled off of Pidge to stand dutifully next to Keith as he drew closer. Pidge stood up and dusted herself clean of stray blue hairs, her eyes traveling up the senior blade uniform and to his face.  
"We make a good team, we'll be OK." He rested a hand between the wolf's ears and Pidge's mouth twitched upwards in response.  
  
"I'm holding you both to that. I want to see you both in perfect condition next time."  
"Yes, Ma'am." He mock saluted and she pushed at his elbow, giggling.  
"You all ready to set off?"  
"Yeah." Keith glanced up at his small cruiser. "Not much to pack this time."   
  
He glanced down at the way she was frowning at the one-man ship and continued. "I'll be taking this up to our closest base, and swapping out for a bigger ship and a team. Then we'll move onto the Taliv system."  
"Sounds like a plan, 'Commander'." Pidge nodded, smirking up at him when he grimaced at the title.  
  
"So." She said, and he raised an eyebrow to her. Though her face was still a little damp she looked determined, no trace of extra moisture in her eyes.   
"So." He echoed as she folded her arms in front of her.  
  
"Phase One begins. You ready?"  
"As I'll ever be." The breeze from the hangar doors was catching in her hair, blowing it into her face and she combed it back with her fingers, watching him carefully.  
  
"We stay in touch."  
"I'll message you on my first stop."  
"Yeah? I won't be out of sight and out of mind?"   
"No way."   
Though her voice was light- still a little shaky from the emotion of the day- he didn't want to take the chance that there was a real worry under the joke. "I promise. We stay in touch." Keith repeated back to her. "Until we can next meet up."  
  
She nodded almost to herself. "And if I'm still as into you as I am right now, and you're still into me, we can talk about making this a... thing. An official thing. Where everyone knows and junk."  
"Pidge." He took her hands in his, waiting until she looked him fully in the eye before continuing. "I have no doubt that I will still be 'into you' when I see you next."  
  
Pidge snorted with nervous giggles, tugging one hand out of his to hide her mouth.   
  
"You're sweet. I'm just saying Keith, a lot can change in a few months. There's long distance relationships, and then there's being on the other side of the galaxy. You could decide it's not worth the effort."   
  
"I won't. How I feel-" He exhaled, pausing when he looked down into her face. Laughter subsided, lips were slightly parted behind her fingers, amber eyes trained on him, focusing on his with an intensity that only Pidge can achieve. Lesser men might quake under such a stare; he'd seen it happen. Molten gold that could burn and spark with warmth, or turn hard and bitingly cold. Glittered with a wicked humor and the intelligence that danced under the surface.   
  
That gaze was fixed on him now, daring him to continue. He brought the hand that was still held by both of his up to his lips, never breaking eye contact. How could she say that? Think she wasn't worth waiting for? He'd already waited for longer than he liked to admit.   
  
"Pidge, I know how I feel about you. You're 'worth the effort'."   
  
He ran his thumb over her knuckles as he lowered their clasped hands. "I know I can be an ass. I know I need to open up more. I want to be worth  _your_  effort."  
Her eyes softened and then burned all at once as she reached up and took his face in her hands, squeezing his cheeks together.  
  
"I  _know_  you're worth it. You are." She added fiercely when he raised his eyebrows at her with an apprehensive look, "I just... want to do this right, you know?"  
"I know." He said, but it came out muffled around his squished cheeks and she released her hold just a little to let him speak. "I get it. I feel the same way. These last two weeks have been-"  
  
He paused, words tangling on each other on their way to his throat and stumbling. There was so much he wanted to say- needed to say, things he'd said already that he wanted to repeat again and again until he knew she believed him, and then again some more, and she was looking at him dead in the eye and he swallowed the words down.   
"-They've been good."  
  
Pidge huffed a laugh through her nose, half exasperated and half fond, fiddling with the hem of her scarf. "Yeah. They've been good. Come here."  
She tugged the scarf loose and whipped it over his head in an arc, using it to pull him down as she stood up on her toes to press a sweet kiss to his cheek. Keith turned his face to bring his lips to hers, resting his hands on her waist, fingers meeting along her spine to pull her a little closer to him.  
  
He felt her hands on his neck, as he pulled away, securing the scarf and Keith fought the urge to roll his eyes. She really was determined to give it back.  
  
"Pidge, take the hint." Keith covered her hands with his own. "I want you to keep it. I..."  He paused and swallowed. "I... I like seeing you wear it." He said all at once, and when Pidge made a little  _oh!_ of surprise he covered his eyes with one hand. "Ugh that sounded way creepier out loud than I meant."   
  
"No, no it's not, really it's not." Pidge was shifting her weight back and forth between her feet, playing with the ends of it, her face looking as flushed as his felt. "I liked having it. It reminded me of you."  
"We weren't even a thing when I gave it to you- it's weird."  
  
"It's not weird. Take it for now, to remind you to message me? You could always bring it back next time. We can swap, like some... I dunno, token or something."  
"A token?" He raised his brows when she shrugged and pouted. "I feel bad for whichever one of us gets it in the summer."   
Keith grinned, and Pidge relaxed, taking his gloved hand again.  
  
"Maybe not then." She sighed as he walked her to the entry ramp of the ship. She stared up at it for a moment, and then back around to Keith, wrapping her arms around him again for one last hug.  
  
"Take care of yourself, Pidge." He said into her hair, squeezing her close. Pidge laughed into the lapels of his uniform.  
"That's my line." She tightened her grip a little more before pulling back to look at him, eyes bright. "I'll miss you. Now come on, the sooner you leave, the sooner you'll be back and all that."  
  
Keith snorted, and this time really rolled his eyes. "OK, OK, jeez." She closed her eyes as he pressed a final kiss to her forehead before turning to board the ship.  
"Be careful out there!" Pidge called, and he half turned to wave a hand back at her.  
"Always."  
  
  
Once in the cockpit, Keith let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. The sooner he left, the sooner he could return. Yes, that sounded good.   
  
He sank down into the seat and breathed in deep. Then he did again. There was a familiar scent around him, one he'd only just left, stark against the new air inside the ship. As he turned his head to try and catch it again, it hit his nose in another small burst. He touched the knotted fabric around his neck, and lifted it to his face.   
The smell of the detergent that always clung to the bed clothes freshly made for him on Earth and the potted plants of Colleen's that dotted the house and hung from brackets with splashes of colour. That vague hint that something might have been burning whenever he set foot in Pidge's lab in the evening, mingling with the vanilla scent of her hair and the bittersweet taste of coffee in the mornings when he greeted her.  
  
He sat for a moment more, the scarf brushing against his nose and cheek and closed his eyes to the cloud of smells that brought him home.  
_"I liked having it. It reminded me of you."  
_Pidge's words came back to him and he realised with a flush of sudden embarrassment what she must have meant by that. What that meant.  
  
Wait, was embarrassment the right word? There were too many reactions fighting for top place in Keith's head and so he proceeded to stop thinking altogether.   
  
The memory of Pidge fidgeting, her ears pink and glasses steaming up told him that maybe this should feel weirder, but mostly something in his chest was chanting in the positive. He'd liked seeing her wear it- that little burst of possessiveness he'd never admit to whenever he saw that flash of purple around her neck- she liked wearing it. It had reminded her of him.  
He stroked the edges of the scarf- Pidge's scarf.  
  
He stood up, almost dislodging the wolf that had come to sit by him and turned for his bag, unzipping it and digging through it feverishly.  
The wolf was peering over his shoulder, huffing at his hair as he pulled items out.  
"I need you to do something for me, buddy."  
  
*  
  
"Guys, come on-" Hunk was hiding his face in his hands, giggling as the others all continued to sing 'Happy Birthday', lag and general poor timing combining to create a cacophony of off-key warbling through the video stream.  
  
Only Pidge was left on the last note, holding on as long as her lungs would let her with one arm in the air, the other dramatically poised over her chest like an accomplished opera singer instead of a small, slightly tone-deaf nerd.   
"Man Pidge, you're worse than Shiro." Lance was sniggering as she finally trailed off, falling forwards to gasp for a breath.  
"Thanks, I try." She beamed at Hunk who was still happily flustered and was grinning back widely.  
  
"Sorry we can't be there, Hunk." Allura was still a little breathless from keeping up with the Earth song, and Hunk waved a hand at the screen.  
"It's cool guys- I'm hanging with my family, I'll probably swing up over Pidge's way before I head back out. We'll just have to organize another get-together for another time."  
  
"February? Shiro's birthday is then." Keith suggested, though from the furrow of his brow it seemed he wasn't sure he'd be free then, either. The others glanced at each other, humming and mentally checking dates.  
"There's that big coalition meeting at the end of the month." Shiro sighed, resting his chin in a silver palm and Lance groaned.  
"What about March then? It's not even a leap year this time so we could call Shiro's birthday early March?" He looked over to Allura, who was humming in the affirmative, but it was Pidge's turn to pull a face.  
"I'm being dragged out of state for three weeks in March. They want to take my dad and I up to some big facility to check out the ship prototype that's being developed to co-operate with an on-board teludav system. It's my design so I have to go, and I  _know_ they'll have probably butchered it."  
  
"Sounds fun," Shiro said dryly, but he looked sympathetic as Pidge continued to grumble to herself. "So it's a no-go on March, too?"  
"Can't we just, bring Pidge up to the Atlas or something? Kidnap Keith?" Lance huffed, and Shiro responded with a shrug.  
  
"I like coming back to Earth. It's nice to take a break and do normal stuff. Not that I'd say no to an off-planet vacation somewhere more relaxing than the Atlas though."  
"How's April? Surely we can sneak off just for a little bit by then." Hunk looked to Allura who hummed to herself.   
"We can manage the third movement I think- the Sterket people usually hibernate that time of the year, so we could take some time off before they awake and want to commence peace talks."  
  
"Awesome- we can have a big party, a triple party for Hunk, Shiro and Pidge!" Lance was grinning around. "I swear though, if you guys can't get time off for my birthday I'll be  _devastated._ I wanna do a big beach party- sun, sea, barbecues, swimsuits..." He wiggled his eyebrows at Allura who shoved him playfully.  _  
  
_"Keith?" He looked up guiltily from the calendar displayed on his wrist, into Pidge's large eyes. "Can you make it?"  
"Yeah- yeah I'll make it. Promise." Pidge smiled in reply, and they turned their attention back to Lance, who was still rambling.  
  
"...and I'm thinking we do a proper campfire on the beach like I used to with my siblings and cousins, they all used to bring a keg but I wasn't old enough at the time, but  _now_ -"  
"Lance, let's focus on April first- oh, does this mean I can make  _three_  cakes?"   
  
Keith's attention was mostly on the way Pidge was wrapping the hood strings of the large sweatshirt around her fingers. Most of her hands were swallowed up by the sleeves but she looked cozy, sitting back against the head of her bed from the looks of it, hood tucked up around her neck and making her hair fluff up. She noticed him looking and stuck the tip of her tongue out at him, spinning the end of the lace in circles.  
  
" _No,_ Lance, we're not doing that." They were brought back to the conversation, Matt was laughing, his arm still around Shiro.  
"Come on, like you're such a saint at parties, Shiro."  
  
"Oh? Do tell." Allura leaned forwards, eyebrows raised and Matt sat up straighter under the attention, face lighting up.  
"OK, so this was at Shiro's twenty-first, he-"  
  
"Nope! No, no no!" Shiro lunged for Matt, knocking them both off camera, Matt's laughter audible even as they reappeared, Shiro's hand covering his mouth.  
Keith's eyebrows raised, and then a smug smirk spread across his face. " _Oh_ , wait I know this story."  
  
"You  _told_  him?" Shiro gaped at Matt who shrugged.   
"Not me, I swear!"  
"Officers at the Garrison like to gossip." Keith mirrored Matt's shoulders and continued to grin.  
"Come on, Keith, tell us, he can't smother you from here!"  
"Let the man speak!"   
"Yeah, we wanna hear!"  
  
Keith smirked at the image of Shiro, whose ears were steadily turning redder against his silver hair, arms going slack around Matt.  
"Hmn, should I share this? It is  _extremely_ embarrassing."  
"Keith, please." Lance moaned, and Keith tapped his chin.  
"Not tonight."  
"Keith!" This time Pidge was whining and he raised his eyebrows at her.  
" _Later."_ He mouthed and Pidge pouted, but resumed the cajoling of her brother with the others.  
  
  
"Hello again." Pidge was smiling. It was nice to see just her, taking up his screen as he sat back in his bunk, pulling a pillow up behind his head. "You calling me up alone to gossip about all our other teammates?"  
"I just wanted to say goodnight properly." Keith pretended to pout as he crossed one leg over the other, looking up at the floating screen. He could see the blanket wrapped up around her stomach near the bottom of the frame, faded hoodie zipped up to her neck.  
  
"You look very comfortable." He said and she grinned.   
"Oh yes, you have excellent taste in sweatshirts."  
Pidge looked content and a little sleepy, the ends of her hair curling around the hood, body sinking down into the mattress until her chin was tucked into the neck of the sweatshirt.  
  
"Are you... sleeping in it?"  
"Oh yeah, I sleep with your note under my pillow and everything." She tugged a crumpled piece of paper out from somewhere out of frame, one side covered in Keith's scratchy handwriting and scribbled out lines, and one large paw print in the middle.  
  
" _'You're always cold, so I thought you could use an extra layer'_. True poetry, Keith, it's up there with the greats."  
Keith fixed her with a flat look and her grin grew, if possible, even wider.   
"I think though, my favourite part is the imprints in the paper from your previous drafts."   
She looked like a cat who'd caught the canary, and Keith felt the heat rush from his face and into his feet. Oh no.  
  
"Oh no."  
"Oh yes. There's some really good ones on here, but I think it's a tie, between ' _an extra hug til I get bac_ k', and 'to _help keep you warm at night_ '." Pidge cocked her head, smirking as Keith made a strangled whine and rolled over into his pillow, wrapping his arms around his head as if to try and block out all air and sound. "Scandalous, Keith. Does your mom know you talk like this to girls?"  
  
"Kill me." Keith groaned into the fabric, but no such mercy came, only the sound of Pidge stifling more giggles.  
"I'll treasure it always. Laminate it and put it in a scrapbook." He peeked up at her and she was leaning forwards, smile softer now. "Seriously Keith, it was great. Coming home to this on my bed really took my mind off the whole 'almost-boyfriend went out to space for months' thing."  
  
"Just... thought you might appreciate a reminder." He mumbled, rolling over onto his back again.  
"I do Keith, I really do." She flipped the hood up over her head, snuggling back into it with a smile. "It keeps me  _ever so_ warm at night."  
  
"Shut up." He groaned and she laughed again. "Goodnight, Pidge."  
"Oh, Keith come on, don't you want to give me  _an extra hug?_ "  
"Good NIGHT, Pidge."  
  
*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pidge: admits she likes the smell of Keith's clothes  
> Keith's Galra brain: -explodes with joy-
> 
> Next will come some good old fashioned Pidge/Hunk Brotp, and probably way more stupid oneshots. Thank you everyone that left nice comments and stuff, it really means the world to me and makes my goddamn day <3
> 
> I got a new, art oriented twitter! www.twitter.com/SylenisArts :D

**Author's Note:**

> Phew, I started writing this well before our actual winter solstice. I'm just.... lazy.
> 
> I'm a big ol' fan of Sheith but like... If it wasn't a thing I love the idea of Matt/Shiro? He's such a lovable doofy nerd and a sweet boy who'd be kind to Shiro and also make him laugh, but understand the baggage that their abduction and war would bring.  
> I just have a big old soft spot for Matt. I saw a lot of rumors he might die in s8 so I had my heart in my mouth every time he was on screen. My sibling started making fun of me, like "oh no it's Matt! Death approaches!" if he seems a bit exaggerated, I just really want to write fluff and sass. I'd love to get more serious with him.


End file.
